Life and Lies
by ashl0800
Summary: J.T knows what he wants but not sure if he should have it, Emma is going through the hardest patch of her life, Manny's struggling with what she knows is right and what FEELS right and Kendra just wants to find herself *Contains JTemma, Cranny,Tendra, Tobanny, Janny, Spiberty, Semma, possible Dendra*
1. Chapter 1: A rough beginning

_*Note no episodes past the second season are canon. A lot of things are written as happened earlier on, or written out completely. Example; Rock This Town.*_

Emma Nelson hugged James Tiberius Yorke (JT) and laughed

"I can't believe you didn't get a detention at least!" Emma smiled at her best male friend.

"My best friend's father is the acting princpal! How could I get in trouble?" JT linked his arm through Emma's as they exited the school.

"Didn't help you much when he was just the Media Immersion teacher," Emma reminded him. JT opened his mouth to no doubt give a sarcastic reply when he was cut off by Manny Santos

"JT! Emma!" Manny waved them over to where she was standing with her boyfriend Craig Manning. Emma tried to send JT a mental message not to walk over or say hi but he did anyway.

"How are you guys? We haven't spoken in forever, even though we have almost every class together." Manny laughed, which caused Emma to roll her eyes. Craig and JT noticed the tension between the two friends that had been stritting in the past few months, but- as usual- they ignored it. Manny gave Emma and JT awkward hugs and then grabbed Craig's hand.

"Yeah, well. Things can really change," Emma said, plainly referring to Manny herself.

"We've missed hanging out with you guys, too." JT said, despite the fact that Manny had broken his heart on several occasions in the past. He could see that Emma's rude and indifferent attitude was really hurting her.

"Last time I checked, I could speak for myself JT!" Emma snapped before storming off. JT let out a breath of air, not sure which one of his friends needed him the most at the moment.

"I'm sorry, JT. I know she's your best friend," Manny said- sounding close to tears. Craig squeezed her hand in support.

"You're my friend, too Manny. And Emma's- she's just got a lot of expectation in her friends right now. Sean really messed her up." JT said carefully, not sure if Manny was supposed to know just how badly Emma was hurting over what Sean did.

"I understand, and I don't deserve her as a friend. For getting pregnant, for having an abortion." Manny sniffled.

"Those are no reasons to loose your best friend, Manny! The Emma I've always known wouldn't have dropped you for something like that," Craig said softly, putting his arm around Manny.

"But that's what happened, and I don't blame her at all. I messed up, Craig. We both did. End of story," Manny pulled away from Craig and got into his car.

"Ahh... nice talking to you both," JT said unsure of what he should be doing for his friends. Then he figured that if he didn't go chasing after Emma he'd get the silent treatment for about a week.

JT found Emma quite easily- she hadn't gotten very far on her walk home. He was surprised to see that she was in tears.

"Em! What's the matter?" JT cried in disbelief, wrapping his arm around her. JT tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he did so. The last time JT had seen Emma cry was when Rick Murray had opened fire on the school and Sean had risked his life to save hers.

"I miss her, JT. The old her." Emma said softly, wiping at her tears.

"She's still the same Manny Santos, Em. You've just been angry with her to see it." JT smiled sadly. He then realized that, for the first time in his life, that he was looking down at Emma. He hadn't even noticed that he'd been growing.

"The old Manny Santos would never have gotten an abortion."

"People can change, Em. That doesn't mean they become a completely different person. Maybe you'll be friends with Manny again someday- or maybe not." JT began to smile a real smile. "But you know what will never change?"

"What?" Emma said hopefully. She was so tired of everything changing.

"You and I. Bestest Friends Forever, right Emmy?" JT kissed the top of her head, something he'd never been able to do until recently, which caused the butterflies in JT's stomach to go insane.

"You're all I have, JT."

**END OF CHAPTER ONE. Tune in for more of JT and Emma's conversation, and some from Manny/Craig**


	2. Chapter 2: Break ups and Make ups

_*Note no episodes past the second season are canon. A lot of things are written as happened earlier on, or written out completely. Example; Rock This Town.*_

_"You're all I have, JT!" _

__Emma's words took JT by complete surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I know it's probably really hard for you to understand. You have Toby, and all those popular kids like Paige and Spinner. But you're my only TRUE friend." Emma sobbed, leaning into him. JT guided Emma to a nearby bench and sat her down. Emma laid her hand into JT's lap and cried.

"Emma Nelson, you are BY FAR, the strongest person I've ever met in my life. You don't need anybody there for you. Plus, I do know how you feel. Toby won't even speak to me since I almost ruined his relationship with Kendra, and the popular people aren't really my friends.. they're my team mates. You're all I have as well, Em."

Emma looked up at JT, her face streaked with tears.

"How did things get so messed up JT? Remember 7th grade? Whatever happened to that?"

"Relationships happened to that. Manny and Craig, Toby and Kendra, Mine and Manny's break ups, Yours and- er." JT felt his face go red before he could finish what he was going to say.

"Mine and Sean's break up?" Emma smiled at JT through her sadness.

"What? Nooo... I was actually going to say Toby's insane crush on you."

"Toby's crush on ME? What about you, Mr Yorke? Or do you not remember Liberty's crush?" Emma cried, sitting up completely.

"I try hard not to." JT laughed, remembering the fact that he actually went as far to pretend that he was gay so that she'd leave him alone.

"I guess it worked out though. Everybody's happy with their current relationships." Emma sighed unhappily.

'Except us' JT though to himself

"Unless you've actually started to like Liberty back?" Emma asked carefully after JT didn't respond to her comment

"Oh NO! Not Liberty, anyway." JT sighed. Emma's eyes wided in mock surprise

"You mean Toby? I thought you were just pretending to be gay!" She giggled

"Don't even joke like that. Nelson, come on. You know I love the ladies!" JT snickered

"Yeah, dark haired ladies- judging by your previous dating history." Emma elbowed him jokingly. JT's eyes travelled up to Emma's blonde hair.

"Not always," he replied.

MEANWHILE IN CRAIG MANNING'S CAR;

Manny Santos was staring out the car window, trying not to start crying.

"Are you okay?" Craig asked gently, looking at his girlfriend with eyes full of concern.

"Hardly, I've lost my best friends because I made a stupid mistake!" Manny cried, burring his face in her hands.

"I wish you'd stop saying that sleeping with me was a mistake."

"Craig, I love you but it was. You had a girlfriend, and we weren't even smart enough to use a condom!" Manny cried, finally turning to face him.

"I thought you said you were on the pill! And besides that, you got an abortion without even consulting me first." Craig said, trying to hold back his anger.

"You told me you were over that, Craig."

"How I supposed to get over you killing our baby?"

"Why would I WANT a baby!? I already have my hands full taking care of you!"

Manny knew instantly that she'd gone too far. Craig closed his eyes and his face went sheet white. He counted to ten before opening his eyes.

"Get out," He said simply.

"What?"

"Get out of my car, Manny. We're done."

"You're breaking up with me!?"

"Yes, I am."

Manny yanked open the car door but turned back to face Craig.

"We're never, ever getting back together. I hope you know that."

"That's what I was hoping for. See you around." Craig said, closing the car door in Manny's face.

END OF CHAPTER TWO; Next chapter- the old gang (minus Sean) are together for lunch. What kind of drama is going to go down ?


	3. Chapter 3: Lunch time disasters

_pocksuppet; I can promise that Liberty won't be with Toby.. I hate them together :P Although NOTHING is official _

_djghostwriter18; Thank you! :)_

_Note; I don't own the Characters or the show :D Of course. _

For the first time in months, everybody in the old seventh grade group sat together at lunch- with the exception of Sean Cameron, whom was still in jail. Manny was extremely upset about her break up with Craig and everybody felt horrible seeing Manny so upsset. Emma even gave her a hug.

"I told him that we would never get back together and he was happy. Can you believe it?" Manny sniffled

"Really, Manny. I'm sure that you will both be back together in no time just as you've done in the past." Liberty sighed at her old friend's craziness

"No, Liberty. You didn't see his face. We're done for good," Manny said, picking up her things and leaving everybody behind at the table.

"I apologize for causing Manny's departure, but perhaps this is a sign," Liberty put forward the apology after everybody at the table gave her dirty looks

"And how so?" Emma asked, trying her hardest to be polite. She was now remembering why she'd stop hanging around with everybody, except JT, in the first place.

"It shows that we just aren't meant to be friends." Liberty said sharply before standing up and walking away.

"Liberty!" JT called after he, but she didn't turn around.

"Well, this is a bust." Toby complained

"I guess you want to go hang out with Kendra now?" JT said

"I wasn't planning on it. I've actually missed you guys, believe it or not."

"I have things I need to do. See you both in class," Emma said, standing up and also walking away. Toby and JT watched, confused, as the one person who was least likely to leave- did so.

"She probably has a lot to do." JT said, more to himself than Toby.

"Emma certainly hasn't changed much in the past year," Toby commented, smiling at his old best friend.

"I know. I've been around still," JT said- surprising both himself and Toby with how bitter he sounded.

"Yeah, JT. I noticed that you're never apart but is that a good idea?" Toby asked lightly, not sure how to continue with the topic without causing JT to shut down

"What are you talking about? Emma's the person who's been there for me through my grandmother's illness."

"That's because you pushed everybody away and Emma's the only one stubborn enough to keep trying. And I'm talking about how you're going to end up falling in love with her again."

"Again? Toby, last time I checked- you're the one who had fallen for her." JT laughed in his old friend face.

"Yeah, I had a crush on her when we were twelve. You were completely in love with her and couldn't even admit it to yourself."

"That's insane, Toby."

"No, JT, what's insane is that you STILL haven't realized how you used to fell. Everybody could see it except for you and Emma."

"Toby, I'm so not having this conversation with you. It's too weird." JT shook his head and walked out of the caf. Toby put his head down on the cafetria table, wondering just how he was going to get JT to admit how he felt about Emma.

Emma entered the girls bathroom and called for Manny. Manny came out of the stall, her face tear streaked and eyes red.

"Liberty didn't mean it the way it came out." Emma said, wrapping her arms around her oldest friend.

"I know, it just made me realize that Craig and I actually aren't getting back together this time," Manny sniffled and then realized that Emma had her arm around her. "Why are you being so nice to me? I don't deserve it."

"Really? I'm the one who doesn't deserve your friendship, Manny. You've been through so much this past year and I've been horrible to you!" Emma said, her voice full of regret

"You were mad at me, Em. And you had every right to be." Manny shrugged Emma off her and walked towards the sink.

"No, I didn't. It's your life and was your decision. My opinion shouldn't have mattered. I should have just supported you no matter what!"

Emma and Manny stared at each other for a moment before throwing their arms aro""und each other and beginning to cry.

"It's all in the past. It's over," Manny sobbed into Emma's shoulder

"No apologies. We both just forgive each other," Emma added.

JT entered the Media Immersion room, unsure of exactly what he was going to say.

"Mr Simpson? Can we talk?" JT asked carefully. He'd never had this sort of discussion with a teacher before and was unsure of what to do.

"Of course, JT. What seems to be the problem?" Mr Simpson asked, looking up from his computer. He was surprised by the fact that JT wanted to talk to him. He'd never felt particularly close to the boy even though he was his daughter's best friend.

"I was just wondering- were you ever worried that having feelings as more than friends would ruin your friendship with Ms Nelson?" Mr Simpson, who'd been expecting some sort of school question, was caught off guard.

"Well, JT. To be honest, it crossed my mind but I also knew that our friendship was strong enough to take it."

"And you weren't afraid that things would change?" JT asked, worry crossing his face. Mr Simpson noted how odd JT was acting, not cracking jokes or even smiling.

"I was hoping things would change for the better, if that's what you want to hear." Mr Simpson said. JT nodded thoughtfully and then thanked Mr Simpson for his time. As JT left, Mr Simpson was left to wonder if this meant what he thought it did.


	4. Chapter 4: The Party

_*The usual declaimers apply. Nothing is set in stone canon from the show*_

__"JT! Hey, JT!" Toby called, rushing through the halls to catch up with him.

"Oh, here to tell me that I'm in love with Liberty now, are you?" JT asked bitterly, not turning to face Toby and trying to knock him off his lead.

"No, I'm here to make sure you're coming to my party tonight." Toby called causing JT to freeze in his spot.

"You're throwing a party? You? As in Toby "No Social Life except the Same Girlfriend from Eighth Grade" Issacs?" JT laughed, finally turning to face his old friend

"Well, techincally it's Ashley's party but you should still make an appearance !" Toby said desperately. He was really sorry for making JT angry the day before, even if he'd just been trying to help him out.

"I don't know- my grandmother's back in the hospital and-" JT began but Toby wouldn't take no for an answer this time.

"You're grandmother would want you to have a good time for the first time in months." Toby sighed. JT smiled slightly, which was an improvement since he'd been so serious since she got ill. "Just one thing?" Toby added, remembering what Ashley had told him when he'd suggested invited JT.

"What?"

"No ecstasy this time." Toby laughed

Emma and Manny sat at the Dot after school, discussing what to wear to Ashley's party.

"Are you sure I should go? I mean, Ashley and I aren't exactly friends. Or even acquaintances!" Manny sighed, trying to not think of Craig when she should be thinking about what slutty outfit she'd be wearing to that nights get together.

"Manny, please. If anything, it'll be good for you to see Ashley tonight. Facing the last factor in your and Craig's relationship." Emma said.

"And I assume you're going with JT?" Manny said, half joking, half curious to see if Emma would admit anything.

"We haven't discussed anything but why would you assume that I'm going with him?" Emma said, confused by the turn this conversation had suddenly taken

"Maybe because you two are unofficially dating," came the voice of Spinner Mason, who had been cleaning the table beside theirs.

"Where did that come from? JT and I are JUST friends." Emma laughed at how odd the very idea of being with JT sounded.

"Because you two are in here alone all the time, dude. Clearly dates that you don't know are dates yet." Spinner said, smiling. Picturing the girl he'd once accused of feeding him food that gave him boners and the boy he'd dressed up in condoms as a couple was still rather cute to him.

"Oh my God, this is crazy. JT and I don't have those sort of feelings towards each other and we never will." But even as she said it, Emma began to wonder what it would be like if they did.

At the party, Emma and Toby stood awkwardly in the kitchen without much to say to one another. Paige Michalchuk came by and handed both of them shots. Emma sucked hers down without any hesitation.

"Whoa, Emma!" Toby exclaimed in surprise "You didn't even ask what was in it!"

"I have a lot on my mind tonight." Emma said vaguely. Ever since she'd had her first thoughts about liking JT as more than a friend, she hadn't been able to make them go away. Emma scanned the room in hopes of finding Manny when her eyes landed on JT. He was standing across the room, talking to Spinner. Emma felt herself being to panic, what if Spinner told JT about the conversation they'd had at the Dot that afternoon? She booked it across the room towards them

"Well, bye Emma!" Called a bewildered Toby

"JT! Spinner!" Emma rushed up, out of breath.

"Awe, Em, I'm touched. You ran all the way across the room for me?" JT teased

"No!" Emma shrieked. JT and Spinner stared at her, surprised by her defensive tone. The Spinner smiled, figuring out that she actually had. "uhm no. I actually came for... this!" Emma spotted a bottle of Ketel One and picked it up. She took a giant mouth full and swallowed before she could taste too much of it. JT stared in confusion and shock at her un-Emma like behavior.

"Are you okay?" He asked, not sure what was going on with her.

"I'm perfect," Emma cried louder than necessary "never better, actually." Emma wrapped her arm around his shoulder and lead him away from Spinner. JT was confused by Emma's behavior- and did want to know what was wrong... but he wasn't going to miss out on partying with Emma Nelson, because it probably would never happen again.

JT and Emma split the bottle of Ketel One and walked around drinking directly from the bottle. Emma fell on many occasions, and JT laughed every time It was the best thing in the world to see Emma so drunk, JT was loving every moment of it.

Before they knew what was happening, they were sitting on the floor of Ashley Kerwin's bedroom, laughing over nothing.

"JT?" Emma giggled "I heard you had a conversation with my dad yesterday.." She was trying to keep her control and let JT know what Mr Simpson had suggested that night at dinner but the alcohol made it difficult.

"Yeaaa.." JT slurred "because I a lot of feelings." He laughed. Then the two remain silent for a few moments, lost inside their own heads.

"JT have you ever wondered what it would be like to kiss somebody you've been friends with for your entire life?" Emma asked, eyes wide. JT pressed his lips against hers in reply.

"Don't have to wonder anymore." JT laughed. Emma wrapped her arms around JT's neck and kiss him. This kiss was more intense, more emotional.

That's when Manny walked in.

:D End of Chapter 4 !


	5. Chapter 5: The Morning After

_*Note no episodes past the second season are canon. A lot of things are written as happened earlier on, or written out completely. Example; Rock This Town.*_

Emma, Toby and Manny all stood in the hospital waiting room. Emma had her head resting on Manny's shoulders her mind full of cut of memories that had been happening in past few hours. The kissing, Manny rushing into the room. That's when everything gets really mixed up.

Manny saying something about JT's cell phone going off and messages from a doctor. Before Emma could even understand what was happening, they were at the hospital and JT hurried into a different room.

"..Emma!?" Toby waved his hand in front of her face. Emma hadn't been aware of gaping out.

"What?"

"Did you call Liberty?" Toby asked loudly, thinking about how that Emma had to let go and get drunk on this night of all nights.

"Was I supposed to?" Emma asked, still unsure of what was going on.

"I called her, Toby. No answer but that's not a surprise. It's late." Manny butted in.

Then the door to room they were standing in front of opened, and JT walked out seeming as though in a daze. His eyes caught Emma's and he lost his composer. He moved faster than anybody had ever seen JT move and wrapped his arms around Emma.

"She's gone." He whispered, before beginning to cry. Emma held hold a JT, while the memory of the day before after school came to mind. The fact that the roles were reversed now. Then it hit Emma.

His grandmother. She died.

JT awoke with the worst hangover he'd ever had. It only took a couple of moments to realize it was more than just a hangover. He was about to begin the worst day of his life, and he didn't know how he could face it alone. And that's when he realized that he wasn't alone... he wasn't even in his bedroom.

He was in his grandmothers bed, his arms wrapped around Emma, on his other side was Manny, and curled up in a ball at the end of the bed was Toby. Despite everything that had happened, JT's heart warmed at the fact that his friends- two of which he barely spoke to- had spent the night with him just to make sure that he was going to be okay..

"You guys are waaaay to sappy," JT laughed quietly, not expecting them to be awake enough to hear him. But Manny reached her hand up and rested it on JT's face.

"We couldn't leave you alone. Drunk and grieving? Not a good combination." Manny said, rolling over to face JT. "And you can thank Emma for us being here. Even in a drunken haze, she still has your best interests at heart."

"I know she does, that's what I'm worried about." JT sighed, thousands of fuzzy images from the night before rushing into his mind

"What do you mean?" Manny didn't understand what JT could be getting at.

"Last time, things happened and I'm pretty sure it had to do with the drinking and I don't know what to do."

"I know stuff happened, JT. I walked in on you, remember?" Manny smiled at her friend.

"Right, I sort of remember that." JT grinned. That night was such a blur "I wish I could remember more, then I could decide how exactly to let Emma down."

"You don't seem to want to let her down, JT." Manny said "You're sitting holding her in your arms," She pointed out when JT looked at her with confusion.

"Oh... Uhm..." JT felt his face go red. He hadn't even noticed that he was

"It just feels right?" Manny suggested, nudging him lightly in the side

"Manny... No, she's supposed to be like my sister after all we've been through together. I can't like her." JT sighed, rolling his eyes

"Key word is supposed to! She's not and you do. Just act on it, I'm pretty sure she feels the same way."

"I can't try and get her into a relationship mode after everything Sean and her went through, Manny. I care about her too much to see her get hurt. Especially by me." JT glanced down -against his better judgment- and saw how peaceful and comfortable Emma looked. He had the image of this being how he wakes up for the rest of his life, and then tried to shake the thought. It was wrong, and never going to happen.

"JT, you've had your fair share of messed up relationships as well! If anybody will treat Emma right, it's you." Manny reminded him

"I also don't want Sean having to go back to jail for murdering me right after he gets out of jail." JT half joked.

"Sean's the one who messed everything up with Emma. He can't be mad at she becomes happy with somebody else."

JT went to reply when his phone rang, and he was reminded of the day he had ahead of him. He looked back at Manny, and saw the sadness in her eyes.

"Well, it was nice to get out of the real world for awhile, Manny. Thanks." JT got up to check the phone, which no doubt had many messages by this point, trying not to wake Emma up as he did so.

Little did he know that she'd been awake the whole time.


	6. Chapter 6: Flashbacks

_*I don't own Degrassi, obviously !*_

_This chapter is flashbacks_

"Oh my GOD!" Manny cried as she watched Emma swing so high that she almost went over the top of the swing set.

"That's nothin'." JT scoffed, crossing his arms. Even at seven years old, JT and Emma had been desperate to prove themselves better than the other. JT jumped onto the swing and tried swinging standing up, and without using his hands to hold on. Emma slowed down and soon came to a stop to watch JT's performance. Soon enough, JT fell from the swing and landed on his back. Both girls giggled, until they realized that JT was crying.

"JT?" Emma asked, both her and Manny kneeling beside him "are you hurt?" Emma rested her hand on his shoulder

"No.. but, something bad happened on the weekend, Em." JT looked up at Emma and Manny, tears in his blue eyes.

"What? You can tell us anything, JT." Manny said softly. Manny was always the most mature when they were younger. Serious, too.

"My dad left last night. He said it he didn't want me anymore, so my mom told him to leave. And he did," JT said, now avoiding eye contact with his two friends. Manny and Emma seemed shocked. They'd heard of parents divorcing, of course, but had never had it actually happen to somebody they knew. (Emma's dad not being around didn't count because she'd never known him.)

"Oh, JT, it'll be okay." Emma said, not even sure where to begin with her friend. She'd never seen a serious side of JT before. In her memory, Emma wasn't even sure that she'd seen JT cry before this point.

"You don't know that. Manny's parents are together and you didn't even know your dad, Em." JT said, sitting up and looking at his two concerned friends.

"And I turned out perfectly fine, didn't I?" Emma said, hoping for some sort of sarcastic remark.

"Yeah, I guess." JT said instead. Emma and Manny glanced at each other, worried.

"But even if you're dad is gone- you'll always have us. Your best friends forever." Manny smiled, and wrapped her arms around JT. Emma joined in and JT smiled, knowing that his friends were telling the truth.

**FAST-FORWARD FOUR AND HALF YEARS**

JT and Manny stood in the front entrance to Degrassi on their first day of grade seven. They hadn't seen Emma since the incident and were curious to see whether or not she would even be in school, or how she'd be holding up. That's when Emma came walking up to them.

"Em!" Manny cried, rushing forward to hug her best friend. JT wasn't exactly sure what to do. The hugs seemed natural and right coming from Manny, and he was pretty sure that they'd be awkward coming from him now that they were entering junior high. Emma looked past Manny and straight into JT's eyes.

"That was a really dumb thing to do, Em." JT blurted out the only thing that would come to mind and was instantly kicking himself. JT didn't understand why he was always so insensitive towards both girls. He figured it was a boy thing, but he regretted it all the same.

"I know, JT. Trust me, I'll never do anything that stupid again." Emma pulled away from Manny and stood between them.

"Good, because I don't want you getting hurt." JT said, wishing that he could have more to say. Little did he know that he'd said exactly what Emma needed him to.

**FAST FORWARD 2 YEARS**

JT sat on his own, running over the script for Dracula. Working with Liberty was a pain in the ass, but she really wasn't as bad as she'd once been. The way she'd stood up to Raditch had even been entertaining. That's when the group walked by, JT only hearing a small part of their conversation.

"Yeah... Gonorrhea.. don't think she realizes yet... yeah... Emma Nelson." The voices belonged to Alex and Amy, both of which seemed to have sore throats, just like Emma did... No.

Once in class, they announced that the school had had an Gonorrhea outbreak, and when they started to discribe the symptoms JT realized that it soundly a lot like what Emma had. JT glanced back at Manny and noticed that she was realizing the same thing he was. They had a three second conversation with their eyes, in which Manny begged JT to find out. JT knew exactly how.

"Got something to tell us, Em?" JT asked

"Shut up." Emma snapped, confirming JT and Manny's worst fears.

After class, JT confronted Emma officially- or he tried to, before she nearly bit his head off the second he walked up to her

"What the fuck was that for, James?" Emma shreiked, shocking JT silent by both the fact that she swore and called him 'James'.

"I didn't think you'd pratically confess, Emma!" JT cried, when he regained his voice. Emma gave him a dirty look and then her shoulder sagged.

"What's it matter? All I am is a useless slut now, anyway." Emma said, holding back tears.

"What's going on with you, Emma?" JT said, his voice lowering and becoming much more calm.

"It's all my fault, JT. Everything that happened with Rick. Everything..." Emma started sobbing.

"Emma, how can you even say that?" JT asked asked, reaching out for Emma. Emma jerked away.

"Because it's TRUE, JT. *I* started the stop the violence thing which is what started the fighting in the first place. GOD, It's my fault Rick died and Sean ran back to Wasaga Beach. I should have just let him shoot me. It would have made everybody's lives easier." Emma choked back another sob. JT stared at her, wishing he could make all these feelings she was having- including her social disease- just go away at least for a little while.

"Emma, if you had died- this would have been ten times worse for everybody. And stop thinking that you caused everything to do with Rick. You didn't. HE'S the one who beat his girlfriend and put her in coma, he's the one who came back here when he must have known what was going to happened when he came face-to-face with Terri's friends. YOU stopped Jay from beating the crap out of him that day at the Dot and you had nothing to do with that horrible prank. This isn't your fault." JT put his arm around his friend, and this time she didn't pull away.

"Honestly, JT, sometimes it scares me how much you've grown up."

**FAST FORWARD A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR**

JT stood in the hospital waiting room when Manny finally came out.

"She wants to see you, JT." Manny had clearly been crying. JT hugged her lightly, as things had been awkward between them the past year or so, since their failed relationships.

"Manny.. I-er, why is she here?" JT asked. JT had been at school when he'd heard Peter talking to one of his friends about how Emma had been rushed to the hospital quickly.

"She's been straving herself, JT. She's anorexic, and I couldn't help her!" Manny burst into fresh tears and through herself into him. JT stared into the distance, the room where Emma layed behind a closed door. Anorexia. How could he not have noticed this? Had JT really become so busy that he didn't have time for his best friend when she needed him the most.

_End of the Flashbacks, not sure whether I'll do another chapter on them or not... so tell if you liked it or not, okay? Thanks_ :)


	7. Chapter 7: Old Habits Die Hard

-Emma's POV-

Manny's sobs were loud enough to wake the entire world.

"Sshh... Manny, please." JT whispered, his arms were wrapped around her tightly and he was crying as well. Toby and Liberty stood nearby, looking into a hospital room.

"How could this happen, JT? It's NOT FAIR. This is EMMA we're talking about!" Manny cried hysterically. Maybe on-lookers gave her sympathetic looks. JT couldn't reply because he was trying to hold back his tears too hard.

I watched as they wheeled a covered up body away from the room. Manny's sobs got louder, Toby and Liberty came forward and put their arms around her. JT watched the body being pulled away and then he ran forward.

"No! Emma! No!" He yelled and grabbed hold of the white sheet, yanking it off. The body undernearth was revealed. The carnvial mirrior image of my body. You could practically every body sticking out of my body and my skin was shallow and waxy.

That's when I woke up. I forced myself not to scream as I jerked forward in my bed.. no, wait. This wasn't my bed at all. This was JT's grandmothers bed. JT's grandmother, whom had died the night before. JT's grandmother had died, not me. That wasn't much better in any cases, but I was alive. But why couldn't I get my heart rate to slow down?

The door to the room opened, and Toby walked in

"Oh, good, you're up. I really didn't want to wake you. Liberty and the lawyers are going to be here in about an hour, and your parents as well, Emma." Toby said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"Okay, Toby, thanks." I said and then a thought crossed my mind "did JT tell you to wake me up?"

"No, he told me to let you sleep. But we both know he can't face this day without everybody he cares about. And history proves that you're waaay up there on the list." Toby smiled at me and then walked back out. I stood up and realized I was wearing nothing but my underwear. I didn't know where my clothes were and I wasn't really concerned. I raced to JT's room as quickly as possible and grabbed one of his larger pajama T-shirts. This one happened to have "Kiss me, I'm the mascot" written on it in black marker. I had to laugh.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, JT took one look at me and burst out laughing. It was good that after everything that had happened the night before, JT still had some laughs left in him. Hopefully, he always will. It's part of what I love so much about him.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this hungover, Em." JT snickered.

"I am sooo not hungover!" I said, well aware of what a bad lie that was just by the looks on my friends faces. Wow.. friends. It's been a long time since I was able to call them that. Well, except JT. I walked into the kitchen and started pulling eggs and other breakfast things out of the fridge.

"I was going to make breakfast," JT said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, now you can find something else to do. I've got it," I said, not able to help myself from smiling at JT. He still seems so.. JT. I don't know I expected him to be like, crying and all depressed maybe, but I'm glad he's just being himself.

"Alright, Nelson. You're on. But you better make bacon, that's all I'm saying on the matter." JT smiled and walked back towards the living room, not bothering to look back at my disgusted face. I secretly hoped that by making the food, nobody would notice that I wasn't eating it.

-Liberty's POV-

Standing on the porch of JT's house brought back many memories. Memories that won't be the same now that his grandmother has died. JT will never be the same JT he's always been and I can tell that already, without even having spoken to him yet. It's upsetting.. although I came completely and utterly over JT. The ship sailed months ago, and I'm not blind. I can see that he likes Emma, and has for a long time. Maybe longer than anybody could even see.

"Liberty, are you going to stand out here all day?" Toby asked, opening the door.

"No, Toby. I was merely thinking of how much things have changed in the past few years." Liberty said, stepping into the house.

"Liberty. Good to see you," Emma said stiffly and I wondered if she was still upset about the Manny/Craig comment at lunch the day before.

"Yes. Not eating?" I asked, as I heard the sound of, no doubt, Manny and JT scraffing down many different types of food.

"Not interested in anything they have for breakfast food," Emma laughed me off, although I could see right through her act.

"Emma, do you know how dangerous it could be for somebody recovering from anorexia to skip even a single meal?" I ask

ed her out of concern. Emma has had a rough year or so... In fact, more than a year. Emma had been sort of off since the entire Sean thing.

"Liberty. Cool it, kay? I've been good for a long time." Emma said harshly "besides, this isn't me fallen through on my PAST eating dis

order, this is me not liking the by-products in JT's eggs or meat in general."

"Oh, my... Is Liberty giving you a hard time for not eating, too Em?" Manny laughed "Emma and JT argued for about ten mintues about how she should eat something." Manny smiled but I couldn't understand why Manny didn't seem more concerned. Sure, I'll bet it's because she's happy to her friends with Emma again but Emma's health is more important than looking like a "good friend"

"And I couldn't agree more. Emma can't afford to loose anymore weight, she hasn't even come close to gaining back what she originally lost." I said, crossing my arms in fustration.

"Exactly! Thank you, Liberty!" JT cried out

"Oh my.. if it'll make you two shut up- I'll have some toast and butter." Emma rolled her eyes and walked over to the table.

"Now Liberty... what did you find out?" Toby asked. I had forgotten he was even in the room, he hadn't had anything to add to the discussion. I figured as somebody who had also suffered from an eating disorder, he'd be more concerned about Emma falling back into old habits.

"I found that JT can be sent back to live with his father, unless his grandmother stated a different guardian before she died." I said, sitting down across from Emma. "Did see mention anything to you, JT?"

"No, but the lawyer is coming over with her Will soon. If she left me a guardian, it'll be in there."

_*end of this chapter! Sorry, it's kinda sucky... I was falling asleep near the end! Promise, I'll have some up tomorrow or the next day. The Reading of the Will at the least.* _


	8. Chapter 8: Reading of the Will

JT sat in his kitchen, surrounded by his oldest friends and a lawyer.

"I wish to get started as soon as possible," the lawyer said, shuffling through papers.

"My parents will be here soon," Emma assured her. At that moment, Spike and Mr Simpson walked in

"Sorry!" Spike said, taking the empty seat beside Manny.

"It's quite alright..." the lawyer said, begining to gather all her papers together to red from when JT interrupted her

"I can't go live with my dad. I just can't." JT looked close to tears

"Your grandmother hasn't set a guardian for you, James, so you must go to your closest family member." the lawyer said sympathetically.

"I'm almost sixteen! I'll just run away over and over!" JT declared angrily. Emma reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Is there anywhere else JT could go? I mean, just for the next few months even?" Mr Simpson asked, concerned about his daughter's best friend.

"He could always go into foster care until he turns 16." the lawyer said, already sure of how this would play out. The same way it always did.

"Let's do it," JT said, without hesitiation. The table was silent for a moment.

"JT?" Emma asked, looking at him with eyes full of worry.

"5 months in foster care is a million times better than five months with my dad." JT said before Emma could never begin to argue. JT found that he couldn't even look at her, afraid to see just how worried she was.

"What if JT comes and stays with us?" Spike asked, resting her hand on Mr Simpsons.

"You live nearby, you've been almost like a second mother is JT his entire life..." the lawyer said, more thinking out loud than speaking to anybody.

"We'd love to have him. He'd be a wonderful addition to the family," Mr Simpson smiled at JT and Emma.

"Though, it's against our princples to send somebody with their girlfriend. Things could get complicated." The lawyer said, resting her chin in her hands.

"What?" Emma, JT, Spike and Mr Simpson all asked

"Emma's not my girlfriend," JT added, smiling at the though all the same.

"Oh dear! I apologize!" The lawyer said, flushered. "I just assumed- well," The lawyer eyes travelled downwards and as did everybody elses. Then Emma and JT realized they were holding hands. They both quickly let go, faces bright red. Emma ran her hand through her hair.

"Well, you two not being in a relationship makes things a lot easier. If you all agree that this arrangment will work out and I can make it official." Everybody then agreed, and left everything in a moment of peace until-

"How much does my father know?" Everybody glanced at JT, unsure of what to say.

"He's not aware of her death. We aren't even sure if he knows that she was ill," The lawyer said, sensing an awkward conversation beginning.

"Good. Let's keep it that way." JT said bitterly.

"JT..." Manny said softly. She had problems with her dad, too but she couldn't imagine not letting him know when something so life changing had just happened.

"He walked out on ME, Manny. He has no right to know what's going on in my life anymore." JT snapped, looking Manny straight in the eyes. Nobody doubted that this was JT's final decision.

"Well, the last thing to get to order is that fact that Mrs Cooney has left you the house JT, though you can't own it on your own until you're eighteen." The lawyer said "her banking accounts will be paying for the morage for the next two years, but afterwards it's your responblitity

"Now, I realize that when you're eighteen, you'll be heading off to college, so if you wish to sell the house for college fund money-" The lawyer went into her brief case and started pulling out more papers.

"No, I want to keep it." JT said, his voice cracking.

_*Sorry, this chapter was on the short side and that it's been awhile since I updated! :( *_


	9. Chapter 9: Back to School

Two weeks to the day after Mrs Cooney's death, JT and Emma were back in school. They were both shocked in just how much they'd gotten done in the past two weeks- a funeral, sorting out all the money issues with the bank, and moving all of JT's things to the Nelson/Simpson house. Spike had told JT that he could room with Emma, pointing out that they used to take baths together. One thing they didn't get around to doing was going through Mrs Cooney's belongings which they would be doing that weekend, with the help of Manny, Toby and Liberty. It felt good to be friends once again.

Emma hadn't expected it to be as cold as it was an certainty wasn't dressed for the weather- jeans and T-Shirt. She started shivering and JT noticed. He took off his Degrassi sweater and handed it to her.

"Aren't you going to be cold?" Emma asked him, putting it on.

"Nah, boys don't get cold like girls do." JT smirked at his best friend, noticing how much bigger his sweater was than her.

"Don't act all manly, JT! You complain about being cold more often than I ever do!" Emma giggled, elbowing JT- who laughed and elbowed her back.

"Shut up, Nelson! You're such a girl!" JT said, wrapping Emma up into a huge, bone crushing hug.

"At least I never got dressed up in condoms!" Emma managed to cough out. JT released her, both with huge smiles on their faces. JT then grabbed Emma around the waist and started tickling her.

"No, stop! JT! Okay, fine, you WIN!" Emma cried breathlessly.

"Excuse me," came a voice from behind them. Both Emma and JT turned to face Mrs Sauve "JT Yorke?"

"Uhm, hi?" JT said, not sure exactly what was going on. Emma, however, knew exactly what was going to happen and was nervous about how JT was going to react.

"I have heard about your grandmother's passing and-" Mrs Sauve began but was cut off by JT.

"I'm not interested in talking to you. No offense. I have all the people that I need," JT said almost subconsciously looking at Emma.

"Yes, I understand, but sometimes speaking with an adult-"

"I'm living with Mr Simpson and his wife. If I need to talk to an adult, it'll be one of them. Thanks." JT said, more harshly than he'd intended to.

"We appreciate it, this Mrs Sauve," Emma said, stepping forward. "But JT has many people that care about him."

"You may say that now, Miss Nelson, but break ups can cause a fair amount of problems."

"Break ups? What do you mean?" Emma asked, shaking her head.

"EMMA IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" JT yelled. Suddenly, both teens became painfully aware of how many people had gathered around to hear the conversation.

"Okay, well... If either of your ever need to talk," Mrs Sauve backed down, resting her hand on Emma's shoulder. JT grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"Let's go, Em. We need to talk to Mrs Kwan about our missed school work."

Later in Media Immersion;

Emma was sitting with JT on one side, Manny on her other. She was working hard, knowing that she'd have to in order to catch up in classes after two weeks. Manny leaned across Emma's computer and whispered;

"Isn't that JT's sweater?" Emma glanced and down and realized that it was. She hadn't realized that she was still wearing it.

"uhm, yeah." Emma said, trying to go back to work but the smirk on Manny's face made it hard. "what?"

"Are you guys like, together now?"

"No. I was cold on the way to school. I'm like a sister to him, Manny!"

"He sure wasn't treating you like a sister at Ashley's party." Manny singsonged.

"Shut up! We were drunk." Emma hissed, praying that JT wasn't listening to this conversation.

"Drunk words are sober thoughts, Em." Manny smiled.

"Yeah, well.. we weren't doing much TALKING." Emma snapped.

"Emma! Manny! Back to work!" Mr Simpson called, ending the conversation

In the hallway right before lunch;

"JT!" Manny called, rushing up to him and Toby at their lockers.

"Hey, Manny, what's up?" JT turned towards her, grinning.

"We need to talk about Emma." Manny said, crossing her arms. JT's smile disappeared.

"If this is about what happened at the party, Manny, we've already had this discussion." JT said, rolling his eyes.

"What happened at the party?" Toby asked, but was ignored by them both.

"JT, come on!" Manny cried

"Manny! No, nothing will EVER happen."

"Something already DID happen, JT!" Manny cried, actually stomping her foot in a very UN-Manny like manner

"I'm living in her HOUSE! What am I supposed to do, Manny?" JT hissed

"JT-" Manny started whining but Toby slapped his hand over her mouth as Emma and Liberty came around the corner.

"What's going on?" Emma asked, noting the weirdness between their friends

"Nothing!" JT and Toby said quickly

"Ntffin" Manny seconded, since Toby's hand was still over her mouth. He blushed and removed it

"Something's clearly going on," Liberty said, pushing the issue.

"Nothing important, Liberty, honest." JT sighed

"JT is just being a baby and is unable to fess up to his feelings!" Manny cried. JT shot her the dirtiest look he could muster and had to control the urge to smack her silly.

" .UP!" Toby hissed, not exactly sure what was going on but realizing that JT was seriously pissed off.

"No. JT, are you going to tell them or should I?" Manny asked, resting her hands on her hips. JT looked at Emma's confused expression and knew what he needed to do.

"I'll tell them. They deserve to know," JT inhaled deeply and then said "I love you, Manny."

Manny, Toby, Liberty and Emma all stood, mouth dropped open, staring at JT for a good two minutes.

"Seriously?" Manny deadpanned. She couldn't believe that JT was doing this.

"JT, do you really?" Toby prompted JT, wanting him to tell the truth. He could tell by the hurt look on Emma's face that she liked JT back.

"Yeah, I do. Ever since ninth grade. Manuela Santos, I confess my undying love for you!" JT cried, getting down on his knees in front of her and having trouble holding back hysterical laughter.

"This ISN'T funny, James Tiberius, get up!" Manny snapped, yanking JT back to his feet. "Tell them the truth."

"Fine!" JT groaned. "You're way too stubborn for anybody else's good, Manny, you know that right?" Manny merely smirked.

"Can we talk Em? Alone?"

Emma's eyes went wide and she felt her palms start sweating.

"Actually, now's not a - I gotta- I need talk to my dad!" Emma stammered, unsure of herself. She then turned and ran away. JT turned slowly around to face a horrified Manny.

"Thanks a lot," he said bitterly.


	10. Chapter 10: Flashbacks 20

_*This chapter is flashbacks, again. They're fun to write ! *_

At six years old, Emma, JT and Manny were sitting in the school yard- comparing their beliefs on home lives. JT and Manny had told Emma that she had the best one, only child and a single mother.

"I don't know, it's not that much fun to not know your dad. Sometimes I wish I did," Emma said thoughtfully.

"I bet your dad is glad she doesn't know you, Emma. You'd give him cooties!" JT laughed, wanting to make Emma smile. She always got so moody whenever the subject of her dad came up.

"James!" Emma and Manny cried, but he managed to make them both laugh.

"James!" Came a mocky voice. The three best friends turned around and found themselves facing Dudley Portman, a fourth grade whom seemed to think it was his personal duty to make JT's life hell. "I just noticed something, James. You only hang out with girls."

"So what?" JT asked, not seeing Dudley's point.

"That means you're- GAY!" Dudley laughed. JT and Manny glanced at each other, not sure what "gay" really meant. Emma, however, did. She stepped forward and pushed Dudley with all her strength

**FAST FORWARD 6 YEARS**

JT was leaning against his locker, wondering what he was going to do about the situation he was in. Emma came up and sat down beside him. JT smiled to himself, ever since junior high started JT had been growing apart from Emma and Manny and becoming closer to Toby. He still thought of Emma as his best friend, though.

"I've been hearing some interesting things about you Mr Yorke." Emma giggled, not sure how to even have this sort of conversation.

"Like what?" JT said, so caught up in his own thoughts that he had no idea what Emma was going to say.

"So, you're gay now?" Emma asked

"Liberty TOLD you!?" JT cried, millions of horrible thoughts running through his minds. How many people had Liberty told?

"No? Toby did." A confused Emma replied, then a hurt looked crossed her face "I can't believe you'd tell LIBERTY before me. We're supposed to be best friends." Emma stood and began to walk away but JT grabbed her wrist.

"Em-wait! I'm NOT gay! I just told Liberty that so that she'd leave me alone."

"JT, that's horrible." Emma said, shaking her hand and pulling her arm away. She shot JT a dirty look and walked away. JT groaned and knew what he had to do. Time to tell Liberty the truth

FAST FORWARD 2 YEARS

Emma and JT walked away from the cafetria line and looked for a place to sit. They noticed Craig and Manny sitting together, reading a book and looking throughly coupley. Emma rolled her eyes and began to walk away but JT stopped her. Ashley Kerwin was marching up to the them. Emma and JT waited for the explosion.

"... These two idiots are pregnant." Ashley said, slamming the book that Manny and Craig had been reading onto the table. JT looked at Emma, whom didn't seem surprised at all. Manny burst into tears and ran from the caf, leaving Craig and Ashley shouting at each other. JT expected Emma to chase after Manny, but she instead walked the other direction.

"Em? What are we going to do?" JT asked, catching up with her. He wasn't sure why Emma was acting so weird.

"About what?" Emma said, emotionless.

"Manny?" JT replied, more confused then he'd ever been about how Emma was feeling.

"What are we supposed to do? Go back in time and tell her not to be such a skank?" Emma spun around to face JT, who's eyes widened in shock. This was so un-like Emma, not to have Manny's back right away. JT and Emma then became aware of the group of tenth graders, including Heather Sinclair, were watching them with much interest.

"Emma, what's your problem? She's our best friend." JT said gently

"WAS my best friend." Emma said coldly before walking away

**FAST FORWARD 1 WEEK**

Emma and Manny rushed into Media Immersion moments before the final bell rang, both looking as though they were about to cry. JT wondered if that meant they had made up. He wasn't even sure if he liked that idea. He'd been spending so much time with Emma the past week, he almost didn't want things to go back to the way it used to be; JT being the third-wheel best friend between Emma and Manny.

The idea that Manny and Emma were friends again was short lived, however, when Emma took the empty seat beside JT instead of the one beside Manny.

"She's getting an abortion." Emma whispered to him as soon as she sat down

"What?" JT asked, sure that he'd misheard Emma.

"I hear Craig confronting her about it. She's getting an abortion."

"Well, I guess that's good-" JT began and then noticed the angry look on Emma's face "I mean bad. Bad idea, horrible. Worse than stepping on endangered baby sea turtles." Emma smiled and JT knew that he'd done his job


	11. Chapter 11: No Apologies

_**AU: Kendra never went into the Degrassi Black Hole :D**_

Toby and Kendra sat on the Issacs/Kerwin couch, watching a movie and eating popcorn.

"It's good to be hanging out again. I've missed this over the past two weeks," Kendra sighed happily.

"I know, I've missed you too. But you understand, right?" Toby asked, smiling down at this girlfriend of almost three years. The longest running couple at Degrassi, much to the displeasure of Spinner.

"Of course. JT needs you." Kendra smiled. Part of why she loved him so much was because Toby was so loyal to his friends.

"I think he needs me more than he thinks he does," Toby said, more to himself than Kendra.

"What do you mean? Is he okay?" Kendra asked, concerned. She and JT had never been close, but did liked him as a person.

"I mean, he romancitly needs me," Toby laughed, not realizing how bad that sounded.

"What? I thought that was just an act to get Liberty to leave him alone!" Kendra asked, sitting up and looking at her boyfriend.

"Oh my GOD no! I meant, he needs help getting started with Emma!" Toby cried, trying not to laugh.

"Stay out of it, Toby." Kendra warned "Remember what happened when you got involved with Ashley and Jimmy?"

"You didn't even know me then!" Toby commented.

"No, but I knew Spinner. He and Jimmy were best friends then." Kendra reminded him.

"Yeah, I always forget how close you two used to be." Toby sighed

"We still are," Kendra huffed. She hated when Spinner and Toby fought over her attention.

"Not as much as you are with me," Toby said, kissing Kendra on the head.

"Okay, whatever. Shut up or you'll miss the movie." The couple cuddled up together and finished their movie.

**Meanwhile at the van Zandt household**

Liberty stood in the kitchen, going through all the plans for the school dance. Danny sat nearby, throughly enjoying watching her.

"I know why you never get dates," Danny said suddenly, smiling

"Please, Danny, I have a lot of work to do." Liberty sighed

"And THAT'S why! You're a total busybody." Danny said, grabbing an apple from the bowl on the counter.

"And you've been spending too much time with JT." Liberty laughed

"And you're jealous." Danny scoffed.

"Jealous of your 'bromance' with my former crush? Hardly."

"No, you're jealous that the only boy you've ever liked would hang out with me than you!" Danny grinned in triumph. Liberty laughed harder.

"Okay, Danny, let's get out of your little fantasy. I have work to do." Liberty rolled her eyes and ushered Danny out of the kitchen

**MEANWHILE AT THE SANTOS HOUSE**

Manny sat in her room, trying not to cry. She had had two busy weeks to distract her but now that everything was settling down again- Manny was forced to deal with the delayed pain of the break up. Manny began to wonder if their was anything she could do that would make her feel better. Then she remembered what Emma did after the shooting.

_Fifteen minutes later; _

Manny walked through the ravine, her coat wrapped against her. She hadn't worn this sort of outfit in years.

"Well, hey there Dimples." A sleezy voice called to her. Manny turned around and found herself facing Jay Hogart.

"Uhm, hi." Manny said, noticing the handful of bracelets in Jay's hand. She felt her face heat up.

"What brings you here? You'd think that what happened with your little friend, you'd be scared away from this place forever." Jay grinned

"Emma doesn't control me." Manny said stiffly.

"Apparentally not, though you could have fooled me. I'm still surprised to see you."

"Show me what you've got and I'll show you what I can do." Manny said, getting right to business. Although her heart wasn't in it, all she could think about was what Craig would say if he could see what Manny was about to do.

"Wow. Okay, you're on Dimples." Jay began to lead Manny towards the van but she froze.

"Wait! You are- uhm.." she stammered.

"Clean as a whistle." Jay smiled and they entered the van together.

_*Okay, so I realized that I hadn't done much in other characters lives so I wrote this chapter, and they'll have more chapters dedicated to them. Oh, and introducing Kendra, Danny and Jay in one chapter? I think that's a success ! Review please.*_


	12. Chapter 12: With You

Emma didn't walk to school with JT the next morning. In fact, she'd been avoiding him completely since he had asked her to talk. It was hard to do, what if them living in the same house and sharing a room, but she was managing at the best.

Instead, she was walking with Manny.

"So, why won't you talk to JT?" Manny asked, twirling a strand of her hair and not exactly paying attention to her best friend

"Because things will change," Emma said simply.

"And you don't want them to?" Manny asked

"I don't know," Emma answered honestly.

"I thought you liked him,"

"I do but we've been best friends forever. Looked what happened when you two tried dating." Emma pointed out, actually ready to start discussing her feelings with Manny.

"That was my fault, Em. Not JT's. Plus, he's grown up so much since then." Manny said softly

"But still," Emma persisted. They ended their conversation has they walked up to Kendra, Toby and

JT…

Emma inhaled at the sight of him. Why did she have to have these feelings towards him? Why couldn't things have just stayed the same?

What Emma wasn't aware was that JT was thinking along the same lines.

"Um… go jewelry shopping recently, Manny?" Kendra asked, pointing at the bracelet on Manny's wrist. Manny mentally kicked herself for not taking it off before school.

"Um… no!" Manny said, pulling down her sleeve but she wasn't fast enough. JT grabbed her arm and yanked up her sleeve. The blue bracelet left a pregnant pause.

"You've got to be kidding me," Emma breathed, breaking the silence.

"Em, it's not what you think!" Manny begged

"Then tell what it is," Emma demanded, praying that it actually wasn't what she thought it was. Manny, however, had no reply. "Right. Just when I started to think that you had actually changed." Emma shook her head, tears springing into her eyes. She turned and fled into the school.

"JT… help" Manny whimpered.

"Not this time, Manny. You made your bed… now lie in it." JT said, following Emma into the building.

"I'm guessing that was the wrong thing to do," Kendra said slowly. Manny burst into tears and flung herself into Toby's arms.

**WITH JT AND EMMA**

"Em!" JT called, rushing up to her.  
"Go away," Emma whimpered, burying her head in her hands.

"Not a chance, Nelson." JT said, sitting down beside her.  
"God, can't you ever just be a bad friend?" Emma snapped, wiping at her tears.

"I have been. Very often." JT said, speaking the words he'd wanted to for years.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked softly. In her memory, JT had always been much too good a friend for her.  
"I couldn't stop you from making those mistakes with Jay, I wasn't even around after Rick almost shot you, I wasn't there for you when you wanted to find your biological dad, I didn't know that you had an eating disorder…" JT began, tears coming to his eyes against his will.

"JT…" Emma said, shocked that JT had even had those sorts of thoughts. "You're the best friend I'd ever had."

"Do you know what you said when I showed up when you were hospitalized for your eating disorder?" JT asked, refusing to look at her.

"Not really… the entire experience is sort of a blur." Emma admitted.  
"You said 'I didn't think you'd come.'" JT said, a single tear slipping down his face. "I'm SUCH a horrible best friend that you didn't even think I'd come to see you in the hospital."

"No.. JT, I don't even remember saying that." Emma began "you're-"

"Just stop okay, Emma? I'm a horrible friend, I know. You've been there for me through anything and everything and I've never been able to help you. No wonder you don't love me." JT wanted to smack himself. Why was he saying these things?

"Whoa… Wait. What makes you think I don't love you?" Emma exclaimed.

"I don't mean like a friend, Emma." JT said coldly.

"I know," Emma said, leaning forward and kissing him with everything she had in her being. The kiss lasted moments… or possibly several sunlight days. When they broke apart, they were both smiling like idiots.

"My stomach hurts a little," JT commented.


	13. Chapter 13: Everybody Talks

"I've messed up everything! I always mess everything up!" Manny sobbed into Toby's chest.

"Oh, come on Manny." Toby said, trying to make her feel better "that's not true." Toby knew that he was horrible at making people feel good, which is why he and Kendra made such a dynamic couple.

"No, Toby. I do! I always do!" Manny sobbed even harder. Toby stroked her hair awkwardly.

"Then I don't understand. Why do you do these things, then? If you know what will happen if you get caught?" Toby thought that he knew Manny pretty well, maybe not as well as he knew Emma or JT, but well enough. He just didn't understand a lot of the things that she did.

"It's the way it feels before getting caught, Toby, it's amazing. Makes me feel so much better about whatever is going on in my life," Manny said, shaking her head.

"So… you like the way it feels, meaning stealing other girls boyfriends and giving guys blow jobs in the back of vans?" Toby smiled at the craziness that is Manny Santos.

"Yeah… stealing other girls boyfriends is a specialty of mine." Manny said slowly, looking at Toby. Before she could even try to talk some common sense into herself, she kissed him.

"Manny… no," Toby said, pulling away but then finding that he didn't want to. Manny smiled as Toby leaned in and kissed her again. Manny pushed Toby into the open janitor's closet.

"Manny… I have a girlfriend," Toby said, pulling back once again.

"Like that's ever stopped me before," Manny smirked, closing and the locking the door behind them.

**Meanwhile;**

JT and Emma sat at the back of the library, sneaking kisses and cuddling.

"Soo, when are we going to tell everybody?" Emma asked, smiling up at JT. She couldn't believe how lucky she'd gotten.

"Do we have to? This is MUCH more fun," JT smiled

"I agree but we will have to tell them sometime," Emma reminded him. JT kissed her lightly.

"Let them figure it out," he said. Emma shrugged and kissed him back.

"Wait-" JT groaned. Emma rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I know how you feel- but are we going to tell your parents?"

"No," Emma said without hesitation

"No?"

"If we do, they'll move you out of my room," Emma said shyly. JT's eyes widened. "Oh! Get your head out of the gutter, JT, I didn't mean THAT!" Emma smacked him lightly.

" I know… you're Emma Nelson. What is it that they say you have? Penisaphobia?" JT rolled his eyes.

"JT, I think I crushed those rumours when I got an STD." Emma smiled.

"You had to mention that?" JT rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, I promise I won't kiss you anymore then." Emma kidded, pulling away.

"Don't even, Nelson!" JT said, pulling her back into another kiss. "And you say that you're not funny."

**Meanwhile;**

"Excuse me," Liberty turned around and found herself facing a, clearly very nervous, dark haired boy.

"Yes?" Liberty said, antsy. She had a lot of work to do and couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Sorry, but um… are you Liberty van Zandt?" the boy asked.

"Yes, I am." Liberty smiled, curious to what this boy was getting at.

"Oh, I'm Ethan Atkins." Ethan said, holding out his hand and which Liberty shook.

"Can I help you with something?" Liberty asked.

"Um, yeah. I was told you're the go-to person if I want to join student council," Ethan said, staring at his shoes. Liberty smiled at his awkwardness.

"That I am," Liberty said, "we have a meeting right after school on Tuesday- don't be late."

"You mean, I'm in? Just like that?" Ethan's smile was wide and Liberty smiled at the way his eyes light up.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, this is one meeting. Then I'll decide if you're worthy." Liberty laughed, and then, with horror, realized that she was flirting.

"Okay! Thank you so much!" Ethan smiled, and ran from the room. Leaving behind Liberty with a goofy smile on her face.


	14. Chapter 14:Another Lunch Time Diaster

Manny sat down at the lunch table, much to the displeasure of JT and Emma (whom were holding hands under the table) and- for an unknown reason to most- Kendra. At the sight of Manny, Kendra reached over and grabbed Toby's hand. Which was weird, because Kendra was never the type for any PDA, even the mild childish kind. Liberty noticed the tension between her friends.

"Is everything alright?" Liberty asked, looking around the table. Toby couldn't keep his eyes off Manny, Manny looked like she was ready to run, Kendra looked ready to kill, JT and Emma looked as though they wanted to be anywhere but there.

"Fine," everybody answered at once, causing Liberty to roll her eyes.

"Are you sure? I figure this is a waste of breath, however-"

"Manny's a whore." Kendra suddenly, shocking everybody at the table into silence. Kendra and Manny had always seemed to get along really well, Kendra being the only person who didn't totally ditch Manny after the abortion.

"Kendra-" Manny said, looking scared.

"DON'T talk to me!" Kendra cried, gathering up her things. Before she left, Kendra moved close to Manny. "And get your own boyfriend."

JT, Emma and Liberty's mouths dropped open as Kendra marched off. Toby looked like he wanted to crawl under the table and die.

"What did-" Liberty began but was cut off

"We had sex. This morning in the janitor's closet," said a miserable looking Manny. Emma covered her mouth with her hand. JT and Liberty looked scandalized, JT even a little betrayed.

"And we didn't use a condom," said an equally miserable looking Toby

"WHAT! Didn't you learn you lesson the first time?" JT exclaimed. Manny looked on the verge of tears.

"That was uncalled for, JT." Toby said

"It was perfectly called for," Emma said, coming to JT's defense. "A person only makes that mistake once."

"And what's your mom's accuse, Em?" Manny said before thinking. Emma looked as though she wanted to jump across the table at Manny. "Em… I didn't mean-"

"Yes, you did. You said exactly what you meant." Emma then looked over Manny's shoulder and – if it was possible- her expression got even darker.

"Hey, Dimples." Manny turned around

"Jay. Hi." Manny said, hating how happy she sounded. JT squeezed Emma's hand under the table.

"Can we talk?"

**AT JAY'S CAR, 10 MINUTES LATER**

"I saw you leaving the janitor's closet with Issacs with this morning," Jay said, looking at his feet.

"Jay Hogart, are you jealous?" Manny smirked.

"No. I was just wondering what he has that I don't." Jay said,

"Years of friendship?" Manny teased, though Jay didn't look convinced. "Honestly, what he had that you don't was that he was there, and you weren't."

"I'm here now," Jay said, grinning.

"That you are." Manny grinned, pressing her lips against his. She let all her worries slip away with Jay's kisses.

**MEANWHILE:**

"ISSACS!" came a voice. JT and Toby turned around.

"Shit!" Toby said as Spinner Mason slammed him up against the lockers. Many on-lookers froze, JT included.

"I've been hearing things about you,"

"I-I-I- can ex-explain!" Toby struggled to say.

"Not interested, Issacs." Spinner said, winding up for a punch. JT jumped forward and caught Spinner's fist.

"Spin, this is Manny Santos we're talking about here. Like you'd refuse her?" JT asked, still holding Spinner's fist.

"This ain't about- he had a girlfriend." Spinner stuttered

"and if that girlfriend wasn't Kendra, you'd be congratulating him." JT pointed out.

"I-" Spinner hesitated

"Nobody likes a hypocrite, Spin." JT grinned. "But you know, I think you'd make a great couple with my friend, Liberty." JT was absolutely kidding, he highly doubted that Spinner and Liberty could ever even be friends, and was shocked by Spinner's reaction.

"Mind your own business, mascot boy." Spinner shoved JT into the locker and marched off. JT and Toby stared at each other in shock. Manny chooses that moment to walk up, lipstick smudged and hair a mess.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the school slut." JT smiled.

"Shut up, JT. Nothing can ruin my mood right now." Manny snapped, sure enough, a huge smile on her face.

"Wish I could say that same thing," Toby said miserably.

"Tobes- I'm really sorry. I'll talk to Kendra for you," Manny offered

"Nah, she hates me now." Toby kicked the locker lightly.

"I'm sure she- holy shit." Manny said, eyes widening as she looked at somebody who'd just walked into the school.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," JT said, his heart dropping into his stomach.


	15. Chapter 15: Blast From The Past

_"You've got to be fucking kidding me…"_

It was weird for Sean Cameron to walk the halls of Degrassi again. He caught sight of JT, Manny, and Toby starting at him as though he was a ghost.  
"Hey, guys." Sean said, walking towards them. He knew that he'd done a lot of bad things in that past, but he thought he could always count of his grade seven friends to have his back. However, he received stunned silence. "Okay, okay. I get it, I really hurt you guys- and Emma-"  
"Understatement of the year!" JT sneered "just stay away from her, okay? She has enough going on in her life without you walking back into it."  
"I didn't come back to hurt her again, JT." Sean said, raising his hands in his defence.  
"Why are you back, Sean?" Toby asked, crossing his arms.  
"I got out of jail, dumbass. I only got three months," Sean laughed, figuring they'd take it like a joke as always. Instead, all three of them looked offended.  
"Don't talk to him like that!" Manny practically growled. After all of Sean's shit that past year, Manny wasn't putting up with anything else.  
"And to think… you were the nice one, Manny. Slutty, but nice." Sean smiled at the reaction he got, although it wasn't the one he'd expected. He thought JT would get angry and defend Manny, but instead JT almost looked like he agreed. Toby, however, took a step towards Sean and Manny grabbed hold of him.  
"Look, I don't have a problem with you being back, Sean, just stay away from Emma." JT said, stepping forward  
"JT…" Manny said, still holding Toby.  
"Why, are you guys like together now?" Sean laughed at the idea  
"If we were- it'd be known of your business," JT smiled and cocked his head. Sean felt rage rush through him.  
"Oh.. Gotten even cockier since I've been gone. Didn't even know that was possible, JT." Sean said, taking a step forward.  
"Sean.." Manny pleaded, trying to restrain Toby with all her force.  
"Especially for somebody so… small." Sean smirked. That area in the hall, froze. The implications of JT's penis size was heard loud and clear by everyone. Everybody stared, wondering what was going to happen. Toby stopped struggling, and he and Manny's mouths dropped- waiting for JT's reaction.  
"You shouldn't have gone there, Cameron." JT hissed, before connecting his fist with Sean's face. Manny shrieked, but Sean didn't even flinch and replied with slamming JT against the lockers.  
"Think you're tough shit, JT?" Sean growled, preparing to punch.  
"Your bloody nose seems to think so," JT coughed, the lack of oxygen getting to him. Sean unclenched his fist and wiped his nose. Sure enough, it was bleeding.  
"Huh. Maybe puberty wasn't completely wasted on you after all." Sean smirked, once again pulling back his fist.  
"STOP!" Manny yelled, launching herself in between JT and Sean, facing Sean. "Just to go class, Sean! Do you really want to get in trouble on your first day back for fighting?"  
"Self defence," Sean said, gesturing towards his bloody nose  
"He was provoked." Toby yelled  
"I don't know. They both seem pretty immature to me, Toby." Emma's voice came from the sidelines. Everybody turned in horror.  
"Emma…" JT and Sean in unison, Sean stepping away from Manny and JT.  
"How much of that did you see?" JT asked, his voice cracking.  
"Enough," Emma said, walking away.  
"Emma! Wait!" JT called, chasing after her.  
"So.. They are together?" Sean asked, not exactly sure how he felt about it… yes, he wanted Emma to be happy but with JT? Not so much. Part of him also expected to come back and find Emma waiting for him.  
"Unofficially," Toby said stiffly. "unless something has changed very recently."  
"What does that mean?" Sean asked

"It means," Manny supplied when it appeared that Toby wasn't going to answer "that everybody knows they're together but them."

**MEANWHILE;**

"Um, Liberty, hi." Spinner said, walking up to her in the hallway, more nervous than he'd ever been with Paige.  
"Hello, Gavin." Liberty replied "what can I help you with?"  
"Why do you call me that?" Spinner asked, chickening out.  
"What? Gavin?" Liberty asked. Spinner nodded. "Because that's your name."  
"Nobody else calls me that," Spinner argued  
"I'm not like everybody else," Liberty smiled, grabbing her books and shutting her locker.  
"No." Spinner agreed. Liberty smiled and started to walk away.  
"Wait. Gavin, was that all you had to say?" Liberty turned around. She figured there was more.  
"Uhm, yeah. I was just wondering," Spinner said, already regretting the lie.


	16. Chapter 16: Confessions

"Em! I'm sorry!"

"I'm not interested."

"I was defending you!"

"I can do that myself."

"I know, I just like doing it."

Emma turned to face JT. She wanted to smile at how concerned he looked but knew that would just encourage him.

"If this relationship is going to work, you're going to have to accept the fact that I'm going to take care of myself." Emma said seriously.

"If this relationship is going to work, you're going to have to accpet the fact that I'm always going to try and take care of you," JT said just as seriously. Emma couldn't help it at that point, she smiled.

"Cut the serious act, JT. It doesn't work for you," Emma said, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. JT grinned and grabbed her hand.

"Really? I thought I pulled it off pretty well," JT smirked.

"Emma! JT!" Spinner came running up to them in the hall. "I need your guys help. Particularly JTs."

"What's up?" JT asked, glancing at Emma. Judging by the confused look on her face, Spinner had never asked her for help either.

"How do I get Liberty to like me?" Emma and JT's mouths dropped, Emma confused but JT amused. They were both running through everything they knew about Spinner and Liberty.

"Wait... you're actually going for her? I was kidding, Spin." JT said. Emma smacked him to show that she didn't approve of him using Liberty as a joke.

"This is no joke, dude. I can't even describe how I feel about her... it's just so intense." Spinner said

"That is uncharacteristically cute, Spinner." Emma said, slightly touched by the moment. JT, however, found this the most hilarious thing he'd heard in a long time.

"Well, if you want Liberty- you just got to be more like me," JT kidded.

"That's a great idea, mascot boy! Thanks!" Spinner said, running off. Emma looked at JT with that _fix this_ look in her eyes.

"Spin! I was joking!" JT called after him, but Spinner didn't turn around.

"I guess we're in for a interesting couple of days." JT laughed. Emma didn't look amused.

**MEANWHILE:**

Liberty sat alone in an empty classroom, as she did most afternoons, stressing over how much she had to do in so little time. She wondered if Emma would be interested in helping, but figured that Emma had her hands full with JT's moving in and helping him with the greiving process. Though, Liberty had a lot of her plate this semester. The school dance, all her homework, running almost every NON-SPORT club in the school, including student council. Liberty was honestly starting to wonder if she could handle it all. There just weren't enough hours in the day.

"Looks like you've got a lot to do," Ethan's voice came from the doorway. Liberty hated the fact that she was happy to see him, and tried to pass it off as thinking that he could be help to her student council work. But Liberty had vowed never to lie to herself ever again, though the fact remained that after three years of chasing JT, Liberty wasn't emotionally ready to have another unrequited crush that will never be met.

"That's a bit of an understatement," Liberty smiled, however forced. She stood up and placed all her papers on the table with a loud BANG. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

"Really?" Ethan challenged. "because it looks like you need to be locked in a padded room somewhere sometime soon." Ethan laughed, and as did Liberty after a moment. She was glad that Ethan had made it his personal duty to make Liberty's day a little bit happier whenever possible.

"Can I help you, Ethan?" Liberty crossed her arms, still smiling.

"Just checking up on my favourite class president?" Ethan grinned, fulling entering the room now.

"Sucking up isn't going to help your chances of being on student council," Liberty smirked, gathering up her belongings as best she could.

"Can't I just help you out, even if I'm not on student council yet?" Ethan asked, taking some of the papers out of Libertys hands. Liberty gave a smile and decided to give the kid a chance.

"You can go through the Gay-Straight-Alliance ideas and get rid of the horrible ones," Liberty suggested, handing him a single piece of paper.

"That's it?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. That's Heather Sinclair's job most of the time. She'll wrig your neck if she finds out that you did it." Liberty half-teased, half wondered what Heather actually might do.

"Who's that?' Ethan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You better hope you don't find out. It usually means you're on her bad side." Liberty warned him. She then became aware that their hands were touching. She wanted to pull away, so that she didn't give Ethan the wrong idea. Then again, if she moved her hand away in the WRONG away, she could still be giving him the wrong wasn't even sure if she was interested in him or not. She just didn't want to fall hard for another boy she didn't stand a chance with.

"Liberty?" Spinner called from the door. Liberty looked up and her mouth dropped open. Spinner was wearing a totally seventh grade JT outfit. Baggy T-shirt, jeans, a backwards hat and was even carrying a scooter.

"What is going on at this school?" Ethan asked, shaking his head.


	17. Chapter 17: Unexpected

**A/N; Oh my gosh... I can't believe it's been so long since I updated this. I'm sorry :( A few chapters to post though, so it'll be okay :) **

_Over the next week, Spinner continued to dress as seventh-grade JT (MUCH to JT and Emma's amusement and follow around a very confused Liberty. JT and Emma managed to somehow keep their relationship to secret to everybody except Toby- whom JT couldn't keep a secret from if his life depended on it. Toby, however, was more concerned in getting Kendra to talk to him. Sean kept trying to get Emma to talk to him, but both Emma and JT were doing a wonderful job at avoiding him. Manny was too busy with Jay to notice any of the going-ons with her friends. _

Emma grabbed her side, and winced. The pain in her side was almost unbearable that morning, she probably couldn't have gotten out of bed if JT hadn't helped her.

"You okay, Em?" Spike asked, noticing her daughter's hesistation in moving. Spike rested her hand on Emma's forehead. "Em! You're burning up, back to bed." She ordered.

"But I have a Media Immersion test today." Emma muttered, not feeling well enough to even argue. Everybody looked at her, eyes full of concern.

"As your MI teacher, I promise that your grade will not drop from missing this test as you are actually sick," Mr Simpson promised. Emma nodded and got Spike to help her back to bed. When Spike returned upstairs, she laughed at the looks on JT and Mr Simpson's faces.

"She'll be fine, guys. Now you both better get off to school. I'll check on her at my lunch break," Spike promised, scooting them out the back door.

When he got to school, JT entered feeling lost. The first time in years, JT wasn't walking into the building with Emma. The first time, he'd ever entered it alone.

"Hey, JT. Where's your girlfriend?" Sean called from the corner, still bitter that Emma wouldn't even give him a chance to talk to her. Sean didn't really think that Emma and JT were together, but it seemed to really bug JT when he made that comment.

"Just shut the hell up, Sean, alright?" JT snapped, fighting the urge to punch him in the face. Sean really knew how to piss JT off, almost without even trying.

"Dude, I was kidding." Sean commented, raising his hands in defeat. Then "Why? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, Sean. She's fine." JT said, walking away. "No thanks to you," JT muttered to himself. Then he stopped himself because it realized that that was the opposite of the truth. Emma would be dead if Sean hadn't stood in front of Rick's gun. JT owed Sean Emma's life, something he could never pay him back.

* * *

Once his classes began, JT managed to forget about Emma being sick, his he was stressing over his MI test- which he knew he was going to fail even with Toby's help studying at lunch. Mr Simpson was just about to hand out the test, Mrs Sauve knocked on the door looking concerned.

"Mr Simpson.. can I speak to you for a moment please?" She asked. A memory crossed JT (and Manny's) minds to the last time Mrs Sauve showed up the classroom door and asked to speak to Mr Simpson. Emma hadn't been there then either. Neither had Toby or Sean.

"Yes. I understand. I'll watch him." Mr Simpson was speaking so low that the class could only hear Mrs Sauve. Mr Simpson returned and began taking somethings off his desk.

"The test is postponed until furthur notice." Mr Simpson said with no emotion. That's when the class became seriously concerned. Ever after the shooting, Mr Simpson had shown some sort of reaction- anger even.

"Mr Simpson, what's going on?" Liberty asked, sitting on JT's left. Mr Simpson looked at Liberty but his eyes travelled over to JT.

"JT, you're being excused for the rest of the day, too." Mr Simpson said quickly. JT wasn't sure that he'd even heard him properly.

"What?"

"Emma's in the hospital..."

* * *

"Spike!" Mr Simpson called, rushing up to his tearful wife. "What happened?"

"I don't know! I came home and she was passed out at the bottom of the stairs. I don't know if she fell or-" Spike rumbled before beginning to cry. Mr Simpson wrapped his arms around Spike and JT sat down in a car, thinking about how he'd spent too much time here with Emma behind a close door already.

"Was she bleeding?" JT vageuly heard Mr Simpson asking but he was too much in shock that he was here again to notice what Spike had to reply with.

_"What's this I hear about you having an eating disorder, Emma?"_

"Mrs Nelson?" A nurse came out of room, snapping JT to attention. He didn't need to be thinking about the last time he was here waiting for Emma, when Emma needed him here again.

"Yes? How is she? What happened?" Spike rushed forward, ringing her hands- something she only did when she was REALLY nervous.

"She needs to have her appendix removed. I believe she attempted to go up the stairs but couldn't handle the pain although we won't know that for sure until she awakes from the sugery."

"Sugery.. Oh my. Okay, JT you better go home." Spike shook her head, as though in shock.

"What?" JT cried, standing up.

"You have school tomorrow."

"And you expect me to just leave my girlfriend-" JT stared, then froze. He'd forgotten that they weren't telling Emma's parents that they were offically together.

"Your what?" Spike and Mr Simpson said in unison.

"Nothing. Never mind. Going home now." JT laughed and hurried out of the ER.

* * *

BACK AT SCHOOL;

"I hope Emma's okay.." Manny said, almost more to herself than Toby or Liberty.

The news that JT and Mr Simpson had left earlier seemed to have spread around the school faster than any gossip Heather Sinclair had ever started. Everybody seemed quite and lost in thought.

"Jesus, they're acting like Emma already died." Toby said, not exactly thinking about his words.

"Already?" Manny said, her voice going up an octave in panic.

"I didn't mean that Manny. I'm sorry, that was sort of careless." Toby groaned, ever since the incident with the janitor closet, Toby had been making himself look like an idiot in front of Manny even more than usual.

"It's just... Emma can't die. Not if I don't even get the chance to apologize for everything," Manny said sadly, her voice breaking with un-shed tears. Toby patted her lightly on the back, almost afraid to confort her after what had the happened the last time he'd done so.

"Maybe she's relapsed on her eating disorder, Manny. You don't know what happened," Liberty said, trying to be confronting in her own weird-Liberty like way.

"You sure bring that up a lot Liberty," Manny snapped. "It's almost like you WANT her to relapse!"

"Of course I don't!" Liberty cried, flabbergasted. Sure, she and Manny had never been close but to suggest such a thing shocked both Liberty and Toby. "She could die if she did that!"

"Exactly. And then JT would be all yours," Manny sounded close to hysterics.

"Manny!" Toby cried, shocked. He had no idea that Manny was even capable to thinking such hateful things.

"Am I really that horrible a person..." Liberty said "that you actually like I'd want Emma dead?" Liberty's voice was cold but the tears in the corners of her eyes gave her emotions away. Manny instantly felt horrible.

"No... Liberty." Manny began. She didn't even know how to start apologizing for how horrible that was, but she didn't have too. Liberty cut across her.

"No, Manny. I get it. You're the only one who's allowed to like people, or what to take somebody else's boyfriend. Which I don't even want to do. You're just so self-centered that if something doesn't directly involve you, the person is doing something horrible."

Manny just watched Liberty walk away, but Manny had no come back to that. She knew Liberty was right.


	18. Chapter 18: Flashback TimeStandsStill

FLASHBACK

JT sat in class, and then glanced around

_"Where the hell is Toby?"_ He thought to himself. He looked around more, and realized that Emma and Sean were missing. This seemed weird. Well, not Sean but Emma and Toby never skip class.

"Leave it to Toby to skip on the day we get a huge English assignment," JT turned around to face Manny. It had been so awkward between them since the whole break up/penis pump thing but Manny had been nice enough not to tell anybody about walking in on him using that stupid thing. Manny smiled and looked around the room.

"Emma and Sean aren't here either. That's an interesting combination of people." Manny commented. JT felt butterflies rise in his stomach, he couldn't help the fact that he still liked Manny even though they were over.

"I wonder what they're doing. I'm pretty sure Emma and Toby don't hang around Sean anymore." JT smirked, slightly enjoying how badly Sean had turned out. He'd always known something was up with that kid.

"I don't know, maybe he's kidnapped them." Manny giggled.

"Stolen them you mean? He seems to be pretty good at that!" JT smiled. This felt almost like old times, BEFORE JT even had more than friends feelings towards Manny.

"Attention, Degrassi. As of this moment, the school is under lock down. NO students are allowed of their classes under any circumstances." A pregnant pause in which everybody in the class, Mr Simpson included, looked at Toby, Emma and Sean's empty desks.

* * *

FAST FORWARD 45 MINUTES

"This is hell." JT groaned. "I want to know what's going on."

"I'm sure it's nothing important, JT, or we'd know something by now." Liberty said, rolling her eyes at her former crush.

"Liberty, they wouldn't keep us in our classes for 45 minutes if it was nothing," JT scoffed. Liberty sighed impatiently and walked over towards the back of the room. Manny was sitting on JT's desk, literally bouncing. "Did you have too much sugar this morning, Maneula?" JT teased her.

"Shut up! I reaaaaaaally need to pee!" Manny cried, looking pained. JT tried his hardest to keep a straight face but he burst out laughing. Manny had spent the entire year trying to act mature and "hot" but one lockdown and she's complaining about urinating. It was a priceless moment.

Manny shot JT a dirty look, before subsiding to laughter herself. It did feel good to be friendly with JT again. He'd never meant to stop being his friend. Then there was a knock on the door.

Mr Simpson looked through the glass and opened the door for Mrs Sauve, who looked more worried than any guidance counselor should.

"Archie..." She began. Clearly something was seriously wrong, he was calling Mr Simpson by his first name.

"No." Mr Simpson said, not even letting Mrs Sauve get a word in. It's was like he already knew what was coming.

"I'm sorry. Your wife is on her way. I'm here to watch your class." Mrs Sauve moved into the room as Mr Simpson rushed out of it. JT looked at Manny, who seemed as confused as he was. Liberty, however, didn't seem confused at all.

"Mrs Sauve... What's happened to Emma?" Liberty asked, her heart racing. JT felt his heart drop into his stomach and watched Manny's face loose all colour. The entire class was silent.

"I'm afraid I can't give you kids any information at this point in time-" Mrs Sauve began but Manny cut her off.

"You're kidding me? You're not going to tell us! If something happened to Emma, that means something happened to Sean and Toby, too!" Manny seemed ready to loose control. JT rested his hand on top of hers, not in a romanic way- more of a friendly way of showing support.

"Manny, I'm sorry but I can't-"

"No. I'M sorry. Sorry you're such a bitch!" Manny snapped, yanking away from JT and sitting in the corner by herself.

* * *

FAST FORWARD ANOTHER HOUR

Manny and JT rushed through the busy hallways, eager to know what happened.

"Spin..." Jay Hogart said, seeming dazed. "I thought it might have been you."

"It was Jimmy, man, Jimmy." Spinner Mason said, sounding close to tears. Jay grabbed him by his collar and yanked him off to the side, Alex following behind them.

"WHAT was Jimmy?" Manny asked, looking and sounding terrified. JT grabbed her hand.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that we're about to find out." JT said, and they exited the school.

The scene outside was scary. Police cars and news vans and reporters everywhere. Students were dodging them left, right and center. JT caught sight of Toby and his family. JT considered going over to figure out what happened, but realized there would be time to talk later. He needed to find Emma, at least he knew Toby was alive.

"Em!" Manny cried, sounding close to tears again. Manny let go of JT's hand and rushed over to where Emma was standing with her parents. Manny threw her arms around Emma, who just stood there and didn't move. She seemed to be in complete shock. But at least she didn't look hurt. "Oh, Emma... What happened?" Manny pulled away, staring at Emma... realizing that she'd almost lost her forever and she didn't even know how.

Tears swarmed Emma's eyes and the memories pulled to the surface. She looked up and made eye contact with JT. Then she lost her composer. She flung herself into JT's arms and started sobbing.

"He pointed the gun right at me," Emma sobbed, clinging to JT as though he was her lifeline.

"What? Who?" JT felt rage rush through him. He held Emma tighter, realizing that he'd been inches away from never seeing her again. Manny hiccuped clearly trying to hold back her own horrified sobs.

"Rick..." Emma gasped, through sobs. "said that I-I made his l-l-list. That I f-fl-flirted with him. I-I-I didn't me-me-mean too!" Emma was hysterical, nobody even knew what to say. JT stroked her hair, and Spike put a supportive arm around a sobbing Manny.

"Sean stood between us- w-w-when the gun went o-off, I thought i-it was h-him! T-There was so much b-b-blood..."

"Rick's dead?" JT asked, feeling shocked. People don't get killed in Degrassi. It just doesn't happen. Manny gasped and re-newed her sobbing. Emma nodded miserably into JT's shoulder.

"Wait-" Emma said, pulling away from JT "R-Rick said that he al-already sh-sh-shot somebody. W-who..." Emma stammered, shaking with fear and sobs.

"Jimmy." JT said, looking Emma right in the eyes. He knew that she needed him to be completely honest with her at time like this.

"Oh my G-God, is h-he..." Emma's face lost what little colour it had left.

"I don't know, Em." JT shook his head, wishing he had an answer for her. He felt sick, he couldn't believe this had happened.

"Ooooh my G-God," Emma said again. She threw her arms around JT again, while Manny wrapped her arms around Spike.

**A/N; In the last chapter I mentioned this memory slightly but I decided to write it out fully. Plus, writing the flashbacks are really fun. **


	19. Chapter 19: All Falling Down

_JT called around to everybody after the end of the previous chapter_

After Toby got off the phone, Emma was practically the last thing on his mind. Not that he didn't care, but he knew Emma would be fine. Toby was just more concerned with how to win Kendra back when she wouldn't even look at him. It was horrible that it took one HUGE mistake with Manny for him to realize that he truly loved her.

The doorbell rang and Toby realized he was home alone. He groaned and went to open the door, praying it wasn't Spinner here to finish the job JT had put an end to. It wasn't Spinner... it was Liberty. Toby figured that Liberty was upset about what Manny had said that day after school.

"Hey, Liberty." Toby said, feeling weird. He was pretty sure that the only time Liberty had ever been to his house was the night of Ashley's disastrous ecstasy party.

"Hello, Toby. I have something I wish to discuss with you," Liberty said, playing with her bookbag. Toby became nervous, he and Liberty weren't close- therefore if Liberty was coming to him with something she needed to say, it must be really important. (Or everybody else on the planet was busy.)

"Okay. Um, well... come on in." Toby sat, stepping aside to let Liberty inside. However, she remained in place.

"It won't take very long at all," Liberty promised.

"Okay, then... what is it?" Toby couldn't stand the suspense Liberty was putting him through. Part of him hoped that what Liberty had to discuss had something to do with Kendra. The other rest of him knew that it was very unlikely that Liberty had any news about his ex-girlfriend wanting him back.

"I need to know that you're going to do a good job managing student council..." Liberty said, her sentence trailing off.

"What? Why?" Toby asked, thoroughly confused.

"I'm thinking of resigning."

* * *

J.T sat alone in the Nelson/Simpson living, flipping through a photo album. The album was filled with pictures of himself, Emma and Manny as kids. The good old days, before relationship drama got in between their friendship. Back before junior high. J.T smiled at how much taller Emma and even Manny had been compared to him back then.

"Magic of puberty," J.T said to himself, smiling like a total idiot. He looked at pictures where he knew that he was standing on a rock or a hill in order to be taller than at least Manny. There was picture at Emma's eighth birthday where he was sitting on a phone book and he was still shorter than her. As J.T reached the last picture in the book, he realized it was from sixth grade graduation- the year he'd finally become taller than Manny.

"I think she's still pissed about that," J.T laughed. He remembered the look on Manny's face when Emma pointed out that she and J.T were the same height about half way through sixth grade. It was a face J.T would never forget.

The front door opened. Spike and Mr Simpson walked in.

"How is she?" J.T asked from the couch. Spike and Mr Simpson seemed surprised that J.T was still awake, before realizing it was unlikely that he would sleep at all that night.

"She'll be just fine, J.T. We promise. They want to keep her overnight at the least." Spike smiled, looking tired but at peace with her daughter's condition.

"And she'll have be out of school for a week," Mr Simpson added. J.T looked pained. A whole week without Emma at school with him? It would, of course, be worse if he wasn't living with her.

"YOU, however, J.T DO have school in the morning. So off to bed." Spike smiled. "We can talk about the whole 'girlfriend' thing tomorrow." Spike smiled, to show J.T that she, of course, approved. J.T flushed, having forgotten that he'd announced that. Spike rolled her eyes and ushered J.T downstairs.

* * *

Sean wandered around the ravine, knowing that this is where he'd find Manny. This is always where she went when she was upset, and what with her fight with Liberty and Emma's being the hospital... Manny was probably an emotional wreck tonight. At that moment, Sean stepped in front of a van as the doors opened. Jay and Manny stumbled out, Manny looking on the verge of tears. They both caught sight of Sean, and froze.

"H-Hey, Sean. What's up?" Manny asked, blushing and wiping at a stray tear that had fallen from her eye. She wasn't sure how Sean was going to react to what Manny had been up to the past few weeks.

"Sean Cameron. It's been awhile, man." Jay said, laughing at the memories of the things they'd done the year before.

"Save the trip down memory line, thanks Jay. I need to speak with Manny." Sean rolled his eyes. This guy was such an idiot- how could Sean have let him talk him into such stupid things back then?

"Okay..." Manny said, worried. She and Sean walked away from the crowds of people.

"What are you thinking, Manny?" Sean sighed, curious to how somebody as smart as Manny Santos could let herself get tricked into doing such stupid things.

"Did you ask me over here to give me a lecture, Sean?" Manny sighed, crossing her arms. She'd had just about enough of those.

"Nope, because I already know that you know what you're doing is wrong." Sean said "so I want to know why you're doing it."

"I already explained this to Toby. Ask him." Manny snapped, tired out people butting into her life when nothing was wrong.

"Well, maybe I don't mean the bullshit reason you gave Toby." Sean suggested, shrugging.

"Who the hell gave you the right to know me so well?" Manny said softly, wondering exactly HOW things had become so different from seventh grade. Emma, and even J.T could read her like a book while she and Sean were barely friends. Now it seemed like Sean was the only one who knew her at all.

"Because we're both so alike, Manny. At least in Emma and J.T's eyes." Sean seemed sad, Manny stepped forward.

"We both hurt them and I don't blame them for being upset," Manny said, feeling the tears rushing to the surface of her composer again. Manny rested her hand on Sean's shoulder, both to comfort him and to hold herself strong.

"At least you and J.T are somewhat friends... Emma hates me."

"She'll get over it," Manny said, sure of it. Emma rarely could hold a grudge. The only reason she was still mad at Manny was because Manny KEPT screwing up. The tears threaten to spill over again. Manny took a deep breath to hold them back. She'd promised that she wouldn't shed anymore tears over her lost friendships with Emma and J.T

"Help me win Emma back, Manny. Please?" Sean said suddenly, startling Manny. She went to say "no", because she knew that Emma was happy with J.T but changed her mind. Emma had loved Sean since seventh grade, it only made sense that she help hook them back up. It might have her friendship with Emma.

Manny nodded and smiled, clearly agreeing to help him.


	20. Chapter 20: Unnamed Chapter

_**A/N; The week without Emma at Degrassi was boring and really not worth a chapter.**_

On Emma's first day back at Degrassi, she was still a little sore and had trouble moving around. JT kept his arm around whenever possible but she still winced whenever she moved too quickly.

"Hey, Em. How are you?" Manny asked, carefully. She knew that Emma was still probably mad over the whole Jay thing, but she wanted nothing more in the world than to be friends with Emma again. Manny was pretty sure their relationship would never be the same again, and while she wasn't asking okay with the whole thing, she knew a friendship was better than nothing.

"I'm alright. Still a little sore, of course." Emma said, smiling. She was so glad to be back, it had been the most boring week of her life when she could only sit at home and do nothing. She'd missed everybody a lot... even Manny.

"And you seem really glad to be back," Kendra commented, smiling. She was painfully aware of Toby standing on the opposite side of her, and she just wanted to walk away but decided to put up with him for Emma's benefit.

"Hey, Emma. Feeling alright?" Sean came up nervously, feeling as though Emma didn't want to see him. He was, of course, 100% correct.

"Sean." Emma said coolly, Sean's face flushed. JT wrapped his arm back around Emma's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Sean asked again when it became obvious that Emma wasn't going to answer the first time he'd asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks." Emma was acting colder to Sean than she ever had Manny. Manny and JT exchanged worried glances, Emma had been horrible to Manny on many occasions.

"Emma... he was worried about you," Manny put forward as part of her plan to help Sean win Emma back, a plan Manny was pretty sure was impossible- judging by the way Emma had been looking at JT for a while.

"That's wonderful and everything, Manny- but he choose the wrong time to start caring about me." Emma shook her head.

"I've always cared about you, Emma!" Sean was shocked that the thought that Sean didn't care about her had even crossed Emma's mind.

"That's funny." Emma deadpanned, crossing her arms. Sean opened his mouth to reply but Toby had had enough.

"Just walk away, Sean!" Toby was so frustrated with Sean, and how he always made Emma upset... even if he claimed that he wasn't trying too. Sean shook his head, disbelieving how selfish his old friends were, and walked away without a word.

"Emmy, maybe you should-" JT said, feeling guilty about how badly Emma was treating Sean.

"JT-" Emma started, confused. She was pretty sure that JT hated Sean even more than she did.

"I mean, I hate the kid SO MUCH but he did save your life." JT pointed out. Emma remembered Sean standing between her and Rick's gun.

"I'll be civil to him- for that reason only." Emma stated, shaking her head at how much pull JT had with her emotions. "but we're never getting back together,"

"Well, I'd hope not." JT smiled at his girlfriend, who laughed.

"Well, Em, I'll take you to see Mrs Kwan! Thanks for helping JT!" Manny said, leading a confused Emma away, leaving behind equally confused JT, Toby and Kendra.

* * *

It took almost five minutes of walking down the hall together for Kendra and Toby to realize that they were still standing beside each other. They both froze, while JT kept walking. He then realized his two friends had stopped, and turned to face them.

"What? Is this the longest you've been in each other's presence his the break up?" JT laughed.

"Yes." Toby said simply.

"It was for Emma," Kendra said coldly. She swung her bag over her shoulder again, and began walking away. JT grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards Toby.

"JT, let go." Kendra ordered, rolling her eyes.

"Kendra- are you actually going to let a three year relationship go to waste over a stupid mistake?" JT asked, tired of how miserable Toby had been lately. Plus, though he'd never expected it- he sort of missed having Kendra around.

"JT, don't." Toby begged, knowing that even if JT was trying to do something nice, he was going to mess something up.

"Don't pretend that you don't still have feelings towards him," JT said, ignoring Toby and looking Kendra in the eyes. No matter the fact that they weren't close, he knew what somebody looked like when they were in love.

"Kendra Mason, I still love you." Toby said, pushing JT to the side. JT smiled at Kendra's hesitation and the look of joy (and confusion) that crossed her face.

"But.. you- Manny," Kendra stammered, almost trying to convince herself that this was wrong. She didn't even know what she felt anymore.

"Kendra, we all know the effect Manny has on guys. Don't let it ruin this beautiful relationship." JT said softly from the side. Kendra smiled at him, not sure that she'd seen this side of JT before. She liked it. Kendra wrapped her arms around Toby.

"I love you too, you idiot. Don't make me regret this."


	21. Chapter 21: Never Far Behind

"Hey Liberty!" Spinner called, rushing up to her. He'd realized that his J.T look wasn't working, so he'd given it up. But he still wandered around Liberty often.

"Okay, Gavin, what's the deal?" Liberty crossed her arms, frustrated. The amount of attention Spinner had been giving her was odd, and she wanted to know what was going on.

"Liberty. I like you," Liberty's eyes widened and so did Spinners. He hadn't planned on telling her that. At least, not that way. "I can't believe I just told you that."

"No, no... Gavin- I'm flattered." Liberty smiled. Popular Spinner Mason had a crush on her? It seemed impossible.

"But you don't feel the same way." Spinner smiled, beginning to walk away.

"Gavin! Wait!" Liberty called after him, feeling a sharp tug in her stomach as he began to walk away. Spinner turned back to face her. "How about we talk about this over dinner?"

* * *

"Liberty's going on a date with SPINNER? Has the world gone insane?" This was J.T's reaction when Emma told him the news on the way home from school that day.

"Apparently. But we already knew that he had a thing for her," Emma smiled. She personally thought the idea of Liberty and Spinner was cute.

"You're thinking about true romance again, aren't you Em?" J.T smiled, but felt partly rushed. Emma had always been a romantic and he was pretty sure their was nothing movie-romantic about their relationship. He figured Emma was going to get bored.

"Don't worry, I'll never get bored with you J.T." Emma smiled, as though she could read his mind. Sometimes it actually felt like she could. "Besides, in the end of those goofy romantic movies you hate so much- the girl usually ends up with her best friend." Emma slid her hand into his.

"Maybe I'll have to give some of those movies a chance." J.T smirked at his girlfriend... and best friend. Emma smiled and rested her head on J.T's shoulder.

"You know what, J.T. We'll just be our own romance story. A one of a kind," Emma sighed happily. Despite the pain in her side, Emma was quite sure that she'd never been happier.

"But Emma... you always said you thought opposites attract." J.T couldn't forgive the nervousness in his gut. He'd never been like this with any other girl.. does that mean he actually loved Emma?

"Are you implying that we aren't opposites, J.T? Think about it," Emma rolled her eyes at J.T's insecurities He'd always had them and she knew that he always would. It was part of what she loved- err no, LIKED- about him.

"I don't know." J.T stopped. He looked at her and noticed everything about her. She had so much future, potential to do good in the world. J.T was on the way of a dead beat road, just like his father had done. He knew how much better Emma deserved, but he couldn't convince himself to do what he knew had to be done. Not yet, anyway.

"J.T... stop with your worries, okay? You're the one I want."

"The one you want... but not the one you deserve." J.T said grimly. Emma faced him, eyes full of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Em... I can't do this to you anymore." J.T shook his head, already feeling the tears coming. He lets go of Emma's hand and steps away from her. Emma starting shaking her head.

"Why?" She demanded. She didn't understand, she didn't want to. She wanted to be wrong.

"Because it's not fair to you. You can be anything and I'll just drag you down. I'll ruin you like I've ruined everything for everybody else." J.T shook his head.

"Please tell me this is a sick joke, J.T." Emma said, shaking her head, begging the tears behind her eyes not to fall. J.T wanted to hug her, and tell her that he was. But he'd promised himself that he'd never lie to her.

"Emma..." J.T was shaking. The broken look in her eyes was too much. "Please, just let it."

"J.T, if this a joke... you've gone too far this time, okay? Just stop." Emma begged, her voice breaking. This was something she hadn't expected to happen. She didn't think that they'd be together forever- but at least more than two weeks after how long she'd liked him for.

"It's not a joke, Emma. Not this time." J.T shook his head, a single tear slipping. Emma didn't notice because she was blinded by her own tears. "I'm sorry. I'll spend the night on the couch and discuss going to stay with my dad." Part of J.T expected Emma to tell him that he didn't have to leave, but she just wiped at her tears and began walking away from him.

* * *

J.T was in no hurry to get back to the Nelsons after Emma left him in the middle of the sidewalk. If he was in her place, he would have done a lot worse. He knew he'd just broken Emma's heart, but also knew that in the long run- he'd done her a favor. She could find somebody that would be good for her now, somebody who wouldn't tie her down.

J.T didn't even know where he was going until he realized that he was standing outside Manny's house. Why here? J.T wondered to himself. But he knew the answer. Manny was the only other person who knew what it was like to break Emma's heart, besides Sean. J.T hurried up the front steps and knocked on the door, praying that this was the one afternoon that Manny wasn't off with Jay. She wasn't- yet.

"Hey, J.T, I actually was just-" Manny began, ready to tell him that she was going to met someone (Jay) but then stopped. "J.T... why are you crying?"

"Emma and I just broke up." J.T said, deciding on the spot not to lie.

"Emma dumped you?" Manny cried in disbelief. Emma was clearly into J.T- if not in love with him. She wouldn't break up with him.

"No. I broke up with her." J.T said, feeling his lower lip begin to shake.

"Are you retarded?" Manny cried, not thinking before speaking- something she was known for, of course. She just couldn't believe that J.T Yorke was standing on her front porch, crying over a girl he'd just broken up with. That girl being her ex-best friend, to top everything off!

"I did FOR her, Manny. I'm bad for her." J.T snapped, upset that he didn't get the reaction he'd expected. He finally started understanding Manny's ways- doing things that were wrong to make the pain go away. Of course, now Manny decides to become all moral and smart. Can't she just go back to not thinking?

"J.T, you really are stupider than I thought." Manny shook her head.

"Are you going to help me or not?" J.T said, just desperately wanting what he needed to get Emma out of his head.

"How can I do that?" Manny asked, not exactly sure what J.T wanted her to do. He's the one that messed everything up. She quickly got her answer, as J.T stepped forward and kissed her.

"J.T!" Manny cried, pulling away. "Do you really want to do this to her?"

"I can't hurt her anymore than I already have." J.T shrugged, leaning into Manny again.


	22. Chapter 22: Lifeless Words

J.T walked home from Manny's, already regretting what he'd done. He'd done something that would hurt Emma more than breaking up with her did. At least J.T hadn't done the worst thing of all- he'd managed to stop himself. Manny had seemed relieved as well, and they'd agreed never to mention the horrible mistake ever again.

When J.T entered the Nelson/Simpson household, it was much past dinner time. He found Emma and her parents waiting for him the kitchen.

"J.T..." Spike said slowly. J.T bit his lip, nervous about what the general reaction was going to be. He hoped that he'd at least let him stay one more night before he left. "Emma tells us that you're going to move in with your dad. Why?" Spike gestured for J.T to sit down, which he does while avoiding looking at Emma. She wasn't crying anymore, but he couldn't face the sadness in her eyes.

"Well, I thought it might be awkward-" J.T said, looking at Spike. Emma glanced at J.T

"Please don't leave." Emma begged suddenly, her voice sounded weaker and sadder than J.T had heard her sound in a long time. Her voice was actually stronger than she'd expected it to be.

"Em-" J.T said, finally looking at her. He knew how hard this was going to be for both of them, and he didn't think that he could face seeing her every morning first thing.

"I'm not making you stay with that asshole, J.T." Emma said, her voice breaking with the pain it took seeing him so soon after he'd crushed her heart. "We have a spare bedroom."

"Em, I can't. I can't force you to see me after I've hurt you." J.T shook his head, begging the tears not to fall. "You don't have to be nice to me."

"Yes I DO!" Emma yelled forcefully. A single tear shed down her face, quickly followed by a second one. J.T looked away from her. Seeing her cry, was going to make him cry, too.

"You're still my best friend, Em. That can't change. Please." J.T couldn't look at the pain he was sure those words caused her. He felt his tears begin to fall down his face. Spike and Mr Simpson glanced at each other. Emma got to her feet and held her hand out to J.T, who told it wordlessly.

"Let's get your things and bring them up to the spare room."

Once Emma and J.T were downstairs, out of earshot, Spike and Mr Simpson let out breaths of stressed air. Mr Simpson spoke what they were both thinking.

"They're going to get married one day."

* * *

Manny pulled the blankets over her head and started sobbing. Why did she alwasys do these things? Why does she constantly go out of her way to hurt people? She doesn't really want to. She cares a lot about Emma- but here she was... hurting her again. and again. and again. Whenever Emma is finally beginning to forgive her for what she did the last time to hurt her. And this time? She'd done something unforgivable, in Manny's eyes at least. If the roles were reversed, Manny wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to forgive Emma for doing that. However, the roles weren't reversed and Manny had fucked up, yet again.

The phone rang and Manny checked the caller ID.

_J. Jeremiah_... Craig.

"Hello?" Manny said, lightly, wondering what Craig wanted. Did he want to get back together? Did she WANT him to want to get back together?

"Manny... hey." Craig sat alone in the living room, unsure of exactly why he was calling Manny. He just had the feeling that she needed him at the moment.

"Uhm, what's up?" Manny asked, wiping at her tears and hoping that her voice didn't give her away. No shuck luck.

"Manny, are you crying?"

"I've made a lot of mistakes lately, Craig. I don't know what you want me to say." Manny said testily. She wasn't in the mood for anybody's pity.

"Are you- are you crying over our break up?" Craig asked, uneasily, not sure how he felt about that idea. He didn't want Manny moving on so quick, but he didn't want her hurting either.

"Believe it or not, loosing you isn't the worst thing that I've done this month." Manny said, knowing just how bitter she sounded and she didn't really care. She didn't want to hurt Craig, but he seemed to be the only person she loved that she wasn't hurting at the moment. It's only fair.

"Manny-"

"Why are you calling Craig?"

"Well, I've been hearing things-" Craig began but didn't a chance to explain his reason because Manny's anger at herself got the better of her.

"Of course! Of course you've been hearing things- everybody has! Stupid, slutty, Manny that got pregnant at 14. Stupid, slutty Manny who sleeps with boys in janitor closets and in the back of creepy vans. Stupid, slutty Manny who hooks up with her ex-best friend's ex- boyfriend not even 1 FUCKING hour after they break up!" Manny freaked, tears pouring down her face at this point. On the other end of the line, Craig was shocked at Manny's outburst, she wasn't usually this touchy.

"Manny, would you let me a finish a sentence and maybe-"

"No." Manny said, hanging up. She didn't want another lecture. She didn't care what about thought anymore.


	23. Chapter 23: Make overs

**A/N; To clear everything up on character's ages. **  
**Paige/Spinner/Jay, etc. are in twelveth grade**  
**Emma/J.T/Manny, etc. are in eleventh grade**  
**Kendra/Danny/Derek, etc. are in tenth grade.**

Danny van Zandt took a seat next to Kendra in English class.

"Hey, Mason." Danny placed his binder on the desk and leaned towards his best friend. He read the dark look on her face and knew instantly what was wrong. "Another fight with Toby?" Danny rolled his eyes. Computer-loving Isaacs didn't deserve somebody as awesome as Kendra.

"Doesn't matter." Kendra shook her head. Danny opened his mouth to reply but he was cut across by Derek Haig.

"Heyyyy Kendra." Derek said, placing his stuff on the desk in front of Kendras, and then leaning across hers. Derek smiled flirtaously and Danny thought he might throw up. Derek's constant flirting with Kendra was cute when they were seventh graders but now it was just sort of old. Espically since Danny couldn't stand most things that Derek did anymore.

"You know, Derek. This is getting kind of old." Kendra sighed. She'd put up with Derek flirting with her for long enough. She was done.

"What is?" Derek pulled away from Kendra's desk. Danny glanced at his best friend and ex-best friend, waiting to see what was going to unfold.

"This whole crush thing." Kendra pulled out her copy of Lord of the Flies. "It's getting tiresome."

"I-alright." Derek said slowly, turning around. Danny yanked a piece of paper out of his binder and wrote Kendra a note.

D; harsh, mason

K; don't pretend you like him

D; i'm not. but he hasn't done anything to you.

K; he's annoying.

D; I agree but you didn't need to be so rude about it.

Kendra didn't write back but instead ripped up the note. Danny might be her best friend, but he didn't get to control her.

* * *

After class, Kendra caught sight of Toby talking to Manny, the conversation looking heated. Danny bit his lip and looked at Kendra. Kendra looked away from Toby and notices a lonely looking Derek standing nearby, at his locker. She hurries towards him, a confused Danny following behind.

"Derek!" Kendra called, running up to him. Derek turned away, looking like he was about to cry.

"Don't worry, Kendra, I'll leave you alone." Derek started to walk away but Kendra grabbed his arm.

"Please, Derek- I'm sorry!" Kendra said breathlessly. "I'm just upset about my break up with Toby!" Kendra pleaded further. Danny's eyebrows raised. This was low.

"Kend-" Danny began to argue. He knew that Kendra and Toby hadn't broken up and he didn't understand why she was lying.

"You guys broke up?" Derek said, sounding almost hopeful. Danny felt angered at Kendra, she shut Derek down completely just to lead him on more than ever? And why was she lying?

"Yup," Kendra said, leaning in and touching her lips to Dereks. Danny's eyebrows raised so high, they disappeared under his hair line, his mouth dropping open.

And further down the hall, so did Toby and Manny's.

* * *

Kendra seemed to transform overnight. She ditched her usual 'uniform' of sneakers, tracks pants and a T-shirt. She was wearing a pink skirt, white blouse, and white flats. She'd curled her hair and even put on makeup. She enters the schools and walks right past Danny, towards Derek and kisses him. Danny slams his locker and marched towards his two former best friends and pulls them apart.

"Got a problem?" Kendra snapped.

"Yeah, I do!" Spinner's voice came from the distance. "What the hell, Kendra?" Spinner and Liberty walked towards them. Derek took his as a good idea to leave.

"It's none of your business, Spinner! Back off!" Kendra exclaimed, rolling her eyes. Danny and Liberty looked at each other in surprise, Kendra rarely spoke to Spinner like that.

"It is! You're walking around here looking like some- some.." Spinner paused, thinking of the insult to use. "Paige Michalchuk!" He finally declared.

"And that's a bad thing, hun?" Paige Michalchuk herself had arrived at the scene of the drama. Typical. Paige linked her arm through Kendra's. "Because I think that she looks totally gorge!"

"She's always looked good." Danny defended Kendra. It bugged him that Paige was only interested in hanging out with Kendra because she was showing more skin.  
Everybody look at Danny in surprise, they'd all known that he had some sort of feelings towards Kendra- except Kendra- but nobody had expected Danny to ever admit it in anyway.

"Uhm, no, hun- she didn't. Sorry, but she sort of seemed to look like she'd just rolled out of bed every morning." Paige laughed.

"Paige!" Spinner pratcially growled. He was shaking in anger, at Paige and at Kendra.

"It's unfair that you suffer because your brother lost all his friends. Sit with us at lunch, hun?" Paige smiled. Kendra walked away with Paige, to met Hazel no doubt, leaving behind three confused Danny, Spinner and Liberty.


	24. Chapter 24: Shattered

A/N; Bold is song lyric and italics are flashback

Emma ditched 1st period and went for a jog around the block to clear her mind of everything J.T

**"I've lost who I am, and I can't understand"**

_"He tried to kiss me," Emma said, tears in her eyes. She's sitting on her front step with J.T right beside her. She notices that he flinches when he mentioned the kiss, though she ignores it. "I was so rude. Why couldn't I have just been nicer?" Emma's tears fell slowly. J.T reached out and grabbed her hand._

_"Don't blame yourself, Em." _

_"Why not? It's all my fault!"_

_"No, it isn't. You didn't force him to do this, you didn't ask him too. It's NOT your fault."_

**"Why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love."**

_"Sooo... do you guys have a date on Saturday or what?" Emma teased him. She thought his crush on her was adorable._

_"No. I didn't ask her," J.T admitted. _

_"What are you waiting for?" Emma rolled her eyes "Ask her!"_

_"It's not that simple. Not like you and Sean." J.T replied, glancing at her. Emma raised an eyebrow._

_"Why not?" _

_"I'll embarass myself. She's too hot for me now." J.T snapped, unhappy that Emma had gotten him to admit the truth. J.T had always pretended that he didn't think any girl was too hot for him, but this girl was. _

_"This is MANNY SANTOS, we're talking about J.T... remember? Nobody has a better chance with her than you do."_

_"Em. Look at how other guys look at her now."_

_"Yeah. Now. You've always looked at her that way, J.T. I was just the only person who actually noticed. Plus, those guys only like her for the amount of skin she's showing. You like because she's Manny."_

_"You're always right, Em."_

**"Without love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on."**

_"What even happened with you and Sean anyway, Em?" J.T asks. Emma is about to reply but gets caught on the fact that Toby is also there. Telling J.T and Manny is one thing, but she doesn't know Toby well enough._**  
**

_"Not important," Emma said giving J.T a "meet me after class Look."_

_J.T walks with Emma threw the hallways, just the two of them, for probably the first time since starting Junior High. Emma was always with Sean or Manny and J.T was always with Toby and being followed by Liberty._

_"So... what did happen?" J.T asked curiously. He'd heard rumours but he wanted to know the truth, from Emma. Though if it came down to it, he'd ask Manny._

_"He pushed me down." Emma said lightly, trying not worry J.T_

_"He WHAT?" J.T cried, enraged. Sure, he and Emma had grown apart but that didn't give some jerk the right to push her around. _

_"I know but J.T don't do anything stupid PLEASE. You'll only get yourself hurt."_

**"But I know, All I know, is the Ends Beginning."**

_"What's this I hear about you having an eating disorder, Emma?" J.T entered the hospital room and Emma burst into tears._**  
**

_"J.T... I didn't think that you'd come see me." Emma said slowly, trying to fight the tears._

_"Em..." J.T said, unbelieving that Emma could have those thoughts. It broke his heart that she thought that we wouldn't run to her whenever she needed him._

_Please don't lecture me, J.T! I don't think I can handle it after Manny basically turned this into all about her." Emma shook her head and J.T sat by her bedside._

_"What do you mean, Em?" _

_"She told me that I couldn't do this to her." Emma avoiding looking J.T in the eyes. J.T was her best friend, sure, but this was something Emma had planned on keeping to herself. She was fine, she didn't need any help._

_"Em... don't worry about it. I'm not going to let anything happen to you._

**"Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding."**

"_JT have you ever wondered what it would be like to kiss somebody you've been friends with for your entire life?" Emma asked, eyes wide. JT pressed his lips against hers in reply._

_"Don't have to wonder anymore." JT laughed. Emma wrapped her arms around JT's neck and kiss him. This kiss was more intense, more emotional._

**"Fall into your sunlight."**

_"Just stop okay, Emma? I'm a horrible friend, I know. You've been there for me through anything and everything and I've never been able to help you. No wonder you don't love me." JT wanted to smack himself. Why was he saying these things?_

_"Whoa… Wait. What makes you think I don't love you?" Emma exclaimed._

_"I don't mean like a friend, Emma." JT said coldly._

_"I know," Emma said, leaning forward and kissing him with everything she had in her being. The kiss lasted moments… or possibly several sunlight days. When they broke apart, they were both smiling like idiots._

_"My stomach hurts a little," JT commented._

Emma snapped back to attention as she walked up to the school, pulling out her headphones. She was a little early for second period but she figured that nobody would care what she was doing. She ran into Sean on her way to find somewhere to hang out before class let out.

"Hey, Emma. Why aren't you in class?" Sean asked, looking at his feet. Talking to Emma made him feel slightly awkward and uncomfortable at the awkwardness.

"I'm not having the best day." Emma said simply, not meeting Sean's eyes. She was being nice to him because he saved her life, not because she liked him.

"Yeah, I heard you and J.T broke up. I'm sorry," Sean said lightly but seriously. He was sorry that Emma had gotten hurt, but he wasn't particularly sorry that she wasn't dating J.T anymore.

"It's not your fault, Sean." Emma shrugged.

"Are you sure?" Sean stopped. Emma did, too and turned to face him, a confused look in her eyes.

"What?"

"I know what I want, Emma. And I think you do, too." Sean stepped forward and kissed her. Emma pulled back instantly, eyes wide with shock.

"Sean.. I still like J.T." Emma said and Sean's heart dropped into his stomach.

"I know, I'm sorry." Sean said before what he'd done had actually sunk in. Then; "Oh my God... Emma! I'm sooo sorry!" Sean his mouth with his hands for a moment. He'd just gotten Emma to act civil towards him and he went and messed it up all over again.

Emma looked Sean in the eyes and said nothing while he apologized. Then Emma, without taking the chance to talk some sense into herself, kissed Sean with her full force. Sean pined Emma against the lockers and began attacking Emma's tongue with his own. Emma wrapped her arms around Sean's neck and pulled him even closer to herself.

"Ahem..." A voice came from the distance.

Emma squealed and Sean jumped away from her. They expected to see a teacher of some sort, but Emma felt like she was going to throw up when she realized who it actually was.

J.T stood awkwardly, a little while away. He took the in the scene in complete surprise. How did Emma go from 'I'll be nice to him because he saved my life.." to making out with him in an empty hallway in less than 24 hours? Everybody was frozen until Emma tugged down her skirt, which had ridned up during the make out session.

"Uhmm.. I just had to go to the bathroom. Sorry I interrupted you guys." J.T hurried past Emma and Sean, who both stood there with their faces bright red.

"J.T! Wait!" Emma cried, running after him.

Sean leaned against the lockers and ran his hands through his hair. He should have known better than try and get Emma back. She was in love with J.T, whether she knew it yet or not.


	25. Chapter 25: Do I Look Like a Slut?

**A/N; Ahh... I feel like this is becoming the Kendra and JTemma saga... Maybe time for some development in the other character's lives. Yes, sounds good. Maybe some Manny/JT or Manny/Sean FRIENDSHIPS. **

Manny sat with JT in Media Immersion that afternoon.

"Are you alright? You seem quiet." Manny commented, glancing at JT and his blank screen.

"I'm good." JT replied, clicking into the Internet- as though that would make Manny believe that he was okay.

"Okay, yeah. Bullshit, JT, and we both know it." Manny shook her head. JT could be so irritating sometimes. He's clearly upset over something- whether it was his break up with Emma or something else. Manny figured she wasn't the first person JT wanted to talk to about Emma after the day before but- he'd sat beside her so maybe that was a sign that he didn't totally hate her guts.

"I'm fine, Manny- honestly." JT rolled his eyes, where did Manny get off getting into his business. Whenever Manny tried to help him, or he tried to help her, they both ended up getting hurt. They'd be friends, but nothing serious. Not like before... never again like they were.

"JT-" Manny started, ready to call him on his bullshit again. Manny had not only been friends with him since kindergarten, but she'd seen more of him (both mentally and psychically.) than anybody ever had. She knew something was bothering him and she wanted nothing more than to help him through whatever was bothering him now, since it wasn't her this time. But before Manny could get her words out, Sean- looking flushed and embarrassed- sat down on Manny's other side.

"JT-dude.." Sean started but JT raised his hands to stop him.

"It's fine, Sean, really. I'm glad that you guys are back together." JT lied expertly. He'd gotten good at pretended he was happy with guys that both Emma and Manny would date after years of practice. It almost didn't hurt anymore... Almost.

Manny glanced at Sean, her feelings mixed. She'd promised to help Sean win Emma back, but that was when she thought that Sean would never have a chance and nobody would find out that she was helping. If Sean confesses that Manny was helping, JT would no doubt never speak to her again. At this point, Manny was pretty sure that JT was the only person who was truly her friend- she couldn't loose him.

"I don't think we're together," Sean said, shaking his head. His mind was all mixed up. He'd thought that he and Emma would be together again after that make out session in the hall but then she'd ran after JT without even giving Sean a second glance. The worse thing was that Sean could still feel Emma's lips on his and the way she made him feel. Something he was sure that neither JT nor Manny would be interested in hearing about of course.

"What?" JT asked, a confused look crossing his face. After that scene in the hall, it seemed pretty obvious to him that Sean and Emma were an item once again.

"I know, it's confusing. Trust me, I'm probably more confused than you are." Sean shook his head, running his left hand through his hair. Sean looked back at his screen, not wanting to talk about it anymore. The constant running through his mind was hard enough without trying to explain what had happened with her two best friends- or whatever they were at this point.

JT was glad that Sean had ended the conversation because he was pretty sure that his heart couldn't take anymore of it. He still had feelings for Emma- stronger than he'd ever felt towards another girl in his life- but at this moment he hated her. He hated her for making out with Sean, and for chasing after him just after doing it. He hated her for basically leading Sean on, and leaving him out to dry. But he wanted nothing more than to have her back in his life. This exchange was going to make home life really awkward.

Manny noticed the rising tension between everybody over the past few weeks or so. She didn't want to get directly involved with whatever they had going on- God knows that she'd made enough mistakes in her past to realize that once in a while people did make mistakes. Sometimes people even made the same mistake twice. Speaking of making mistakes twice...

Manny pulled her calendar book out of her backpack. She knew what she was going to find, the same number as that morning but it didn't stop her from looking. Maybe it would be different this time. It wasn't...

Five days ago...She should have gotten her period five days ago. Manny shook her head, feeling her eyes fill with tears. There was something else wrong. She had the date wrong... ANYTHING but what's most likely just happened to her.

"Manny, are you alright?" JT whispered. JT... the only person in the world Manny was sure cared about her enough to stick by her if this was true. Espically since it involved more than just one of his close friends that will be hurt if it is. Manny suddenly grabbed JT's wrist and yanked him out of the class, Mr Simpson not even attempted to stop them. He already knew he couldn't control Emma's friends.

"Manny- what's wrong all of a sudden?" JT asked, leaning against the door, looking at his friend in surprise. If JT had to come to turns with the previous events.. he figured Manny was probably his best friend now. Emma and him weren't on great terms... needless to say... and Toby was busy chasing after a newly sluttied-up Kendra.

"JT... I'm late." Manny said, sounding like a scared child. JT blinked at her, not understanding.

"Late for what?" JT asked, the look on Manny's face knocked some sense into him. "Oh. OH!"

Manny wiped at the few tears that ecasped from her eyes and JT was quiet for a moment. Then he realized something worse than the possiblity of Manny being pregnant-again.

"Wait.. is it- Toby's?" JT asked, in a hoarse whisper. Manny nodded and JT feel his breath leave him for a moment. Toby Isaacs... might have gotten a girl pregnant in 11th grade. That's a thought that JT didn't think would ever cross his mind.

"He's the only one I didn't use a condom with since the first time with Craig." Manny was shaking slightly. JT wrapped his arm around her to steady her.

"Don't worry- we'll get you a pregnancy test." JT couldn't believe Manny might be pregnant. It didn't seem fair, since she'd barely gotten her reputation back from her abortion.

"Pregnancy test?" Emma's high pitched voice came from behind them. JT and Manny jumped apart and whipped around to face her. Emma looked hurt and confused.

"It's not mi-" JT began to defend himself before he realized that he didn't have to. He wasn't even sure if he and Emma were still friends, let alone anything more than that.

"I don't really care right now." Emma shook her head, fighting back the tears. It wasn't any of her business who Manny was running around having kids with now. "I just need to talk to you." Emma directed her statement at JT, refusing to even look in Manny's direction. Manny silently slipped back into the classroom, leaving JT and Emma to talk.

"Now's probably not a good time, Emma." JT said, trying to sound as hateful as possible. Let Emma take a hint, he wasn't interested in talking to her at the moment- if ever again.

"It's probably never going to be a good time." Emma pointed, crossing her arms. In the past few days, Emma had figured out how to expertly hide tears. It was her new talent. JT bit his lip, and didn't say a word... letting Emma know that she had the chance to continue.

"I'm really sorry that you had to see that... I don't know what I was thinking... I don't even like him." Emma rambled, wanting JT to interrupt her- even if it was to yell at her for being a tease or a slut. She needed to hear those things from somebody who cared about her, so that she could stop saying them to herself.

"We're even okay?" JT said simply, coldly, with emotion. It was easier that way. The less feelings he made clear to Emma, the less they would both be hurt in the end.

"Are we still friend?" Emma called after JT as he went to walk back into the classroom. Emma wanted him to yell at her, she needed him too. She didn't think she'd be able to live with herself knowing that JT was bottling up the pain instead of taking it out on her like he should be.

JT froze for a moment. Emma's words echoed around his head, and he wished he the answer she was looking for but for the first time in JT's life... he didn't know what Emma needed him to say. "Emma, I don't know anymore." He finally said, slowly and unconvincingly to himself. Emma, however, seemed to read JT's words perfectly.

"We aren't friends... oh my God." Emma felt the tears threatening to burst through her surface. "You didn't call me 'Em'. Y-you... don't care enough anymore." Emma felt the first tear fall from her eyes and quickly turned away.

JT's heart shattered at Emma's words, because they couldn't be less true. In fact, he cared more than ever. Emma was hurting in way that was even worse than after the shooting. "Emma, I will always care about you. No matter what." JT stepped towards her, unsure exactly how to comfort her. He was pretty sure Emma would do what she always did when she was crying, and fall into his arms instantly. Instead, she stepped away from him- putting more distance between them than there had been before.

"Not enough... not anymore," Emma smiled sadly, tears running freely down her face now. What was the point in pretending around JT anymore?

"Emma..."

"See? You're calling me Emma." Emma pointed out, much to JT's confusion. She noticed this confusion and began to explain. "You've called me "Em' since second grade. The only time you called me Emma was if you were really mad- that's how I always knew." Emma smiled, thinking of all the times that secret had been helpful in her friendship with JT Yorke.

"I'm not mad at you," JT said honestly. He wasn't mad; he had been telling the truth when he said that he now considered them even. He just wanted things to go back to the FRIENDSHIP between him and Emma- he was willing to put his romantic feelings completely aside for that.

"I know," Emma said, her voice catching. She turned and began to walk away from JT- and in a way- their friendship.

"Emma! I-I love you!" JT called after her, the sound of his voice surprising him. So much for putting the romantic feelings behind him. Emma stopped dead in her tracks for a mintue, before glancing over her shoulder.

"No, you don't."

**A/N; Oh... this came out more wordy than I'd planned it to. Oh, well... I need to start covering some Spiberty storylines now... Maybe next chapter :) **


	26. Chapter 26: Innocence

**A/N; Too many characters to keep up with... I've totally forgotten about Spiberty moments! UGH. **

Liberty followed Spinner through the hallways, desperate to catch up to him. Ever since Kendra started hanging out with Paige, he'd become distant. Liberty worried about him, he'd had a rough year- and altough Liberty didn't support most of the things he'd done- she understood that he'd changed and was trying to make things right. She also understands why Paige and everybody are yet to forgive him for having Jimmy shot (accidentally) because she knew she'd probably be pissed at him, too, if it had been Emma or Toby.

"Gavin!" Liberty called, catching up to him and grabbing his hand. "What's going on?"

Spinner shook his head, and pulled his hand away. He knew he was being distant and that Liberty was probably worried but he had a lot of his mind right now, like how Liberty was the only person he had in the entire school now that even his own sister had turned on him.

"Honestly, are you still worrying over Kendra? She'll come around. She's just going through some times right now because of the break up. Three years is a long time to be with somebody," Liberty did what she was best at- stating the obvious. She knew she wasn't the best at comforting people.. which is why she'd never been very close to Emma or Manny; two girls that constantly needed to comforted.

"I know," Spinner said, quickly pecking Liberty on the lips to show her that he was fine, but the look in her eyes showed that she didn't believe for a second that he was. Spinner just smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and took her hand..

They past Manny and JT in the hall, they seemed to be having a heated conversation, and didn't notice Liberty and Spinner walking by. That was fair enough, since every time anybody from Liberty's childhood group of friends saw them together they just stared anyway. Liberty knew that the two of them were an unlikely pair, but that didn't mean people needed to stare all the time. She was happy with Spinner and that was all that matter to her.

"Do you think they're together now?" Spinner asked Liberty, awaking her from her inner-rant about respect for others' relationships.

"Who? JT and Manny?" Liberty asked, glancing at her boyfriend. The word still seemed weird thinking about as describing Spinner.

"Yeah, they seem pretty close over there." Spinner smiled. Manny was his ex-girlfriend, until he'd nearly gotten her best friend as well as his own killed. Spinner's mood darken. He rarely even thought about the fact that his girlfriend (at the time.) and his sister's boyfriend (at the time.) had almost been shot by Rick, too, and because of a stupid prank. He could even forgive himself if anybody had died... even Rick's death will always haunt him. And he hated Rick... he truly cared about Jimmy and even Emma. As for Toby, well, Spinner cared enough about Kendra to know how horrible Toby dying would have been as well.

"...Gavin?" Liberty said loudly. Spinner's mind was somewhere else again. Ever since that stupid conversation with Paige! She hoped that she wasn't thinking about the shooting, he needed to stop beading himself up over that.

"Yeah, sorry." Spinner said, mentally pushing away all thoughts of Rick Murray.

"I SAID... I don't think JT and Manny are together. I heard she's pregnant," Liberty said slowly, feeling bad for Manny although at the same time; Liberty hadn't yet forgiven her for the accusation after Emma went into the hospital. Manny Santos was selfish and clearly didn't know what condoms were for.

"Again?" Spinner sighed. Sure, Spinner had lost his virginity to Manny but he'd been smart about it. He used a condom, unlike Craig. "Oh man, this'll ruin Craig. He's just starting to accept the fact that he and Manny aren't going to get back together and now she's pregnant."

"I also heard it's not Craigs." Liberty said, wondering when she became such a gossip. This wasn't like her... was she really that mad at Manny that she'd gossiping just so to get back at her hateful words?

"Wait... you mean Isaacs?" Spinner stopped dead in his tracks, causing Liberty- whom was still holding his hand- to jerk backwards and nearly fall.

"Unlikely.." Liberty said, although the mentioning of them not using a condom tugged at her mind. "Mostly like Jay's."

"Jay Hogart!?" Spinner burst out laughing. He'd clearly forgotten that he was still within ear shot of Manny and JT, whom both looked over curiously.

"Sshh!" Liberty hissed, smacking her hand over Spinner's mouth. Manny looked like he realized what they were talking about, and took off down the hall. JT shot the two lovebirds a dirty look and hurried after her. Liberty started laughing with Spinner, and they collapsed to the ground in front of the guidance office.

* * *

A few hours later.

Manny and JT sat on the edge of her bathroom, waiting for another minute or so before the test would be complete.

"Last time I was doing this I was at Emma's." Manny said slowly, remembering the moment well.

"Emma was okay with you being pregnant?" JT asked. He hadn't realized that Emma had been supportive of Manny at all.

"No. She didn't even know until Ashley outed us. I was at her house beside the only adult I could think to turn to was Spike." Manny admitted. It pained her that Emma hadn't been supportive at all of the pregnancy, but became pissed when Manny got an abortion. It just didn't make any sense.

The rest of the time went by in silence, both Manny and JT lost in their own thoughts. When the timer on JT's watch beeped, time was up.

Manny got to her feet and slowly moved towards the little stick sitting on her bathroom counter. She picked up and closed her eyes. She couldn't even bare to look at it.

"Whatever happens, Manny, I'm here for you alright?" JT said, softly although he had not managed to get to his feet.

"Okay.." Manny said lightly, sounding as though she was going to faint.

"Manny, you have to look at it." JT reminded her. Manny opened her eyes and nearly passed out.

"Well... who knew positive could be such a negative thing?" Manny laughed in a way that was clear that she was about to start crying. JT finally managed to stand up. He walked quickly towards his friend, and wrapped her into a hug. They sat on the bathroom floor, while Manny cried. Both teens wondered how things had gotten so messed up.


	27. Chapter 27: I Got Lost Along The Way

**A/N; This is where are story really starts to pick up and get interesting. PROMISE.**

Danny van Zandt was walking along through an alley behind the Dot. He'd been confused and alone since Kendra unexplainably ditched him for Paige and the other populars. He ran into some Lakehurst guy, James? John?, and rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, dude." Danny said, trying to move out of the way and the Lakehurst kid held him back.

"You go to Degrassi don't ya?" James/John said, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah?" Danny said, not seeing the kids point.

"Perfect." James/John smiled in a sickening way. "Lakehurst has declared war on your school."

"Why?" Danny asked, crossing his arms. A war, really? It seemed so childish. Couldn't Lakehurst think a better way to spend their time?

"Ask your mascot." James/John replied, turning away. "JT Yorke."

* * *

At school the next morning, Danny walked directly up to JT, Manny and Toby.

"What did you do, JT?" Danny asked, thoroughly confused. He'd spend all night wondering why Lakehurst would start a war against Degrassi because of JT but hadn't been able to think of anything.

"Huh?" JT replied. He hadn't been able to sleep much that night. All he'd been able to think about was how he and Manny were going to break the pregnancy news to Toby- which they'd been about to do when Danny had walked up.

"Lakehurst has started a war against Lakehurst, and apparently it's because of you." Danny shrugged he wasn't really concerned about the Lakehurst war. Lakehurst guys were total pussies, even against JT.

"I didn't do anything to Lakehurst." JT said honestly. He had no idea what those Lakehurst losers could be on about- he had enough to worry about without some stupid school rivalry which didn't have anything to do with him. "And honestly, I'm a little busy right now, Danny."

"I know Lakehurst isn't a huge threat but a school rivarly really isn't-" Danny started but JT, unable to stand the conversation anymore- snapped.

"Manny's pregnant and it's Toby's kid! I have more important things on my mind!" JT snapped, not realizing just how loudly he was talking. Manny's eyes widned and Toby dropped his books in shock.

It also seemed that anybody who was anybody at Degrassi was standing in that hallway at that exact moment.

Sean had been following Emma through the hall and they'd both frozen in the time almost as soon as "JT began to shout Manny's secret to the hall. Emma had already figured that Manny was pregnant, considering the conversation she'd overheard between the two of them the day before.. but it had never crossed her mind that it might have been Toby's baby. She had automatically assumed it would be Craig's.

Across the hall directly from them, was Paige, Hazel and Kendra- who'd instantly fell silent at JT's words. Paige and Hazel couldn't believe that Manny had made the mistake twice, and instantly pulled out their phones to send messages to everybody who wasn't within ear shot of the deceleration. Kendra, however, had her mind in other places. She was probably the only person who didn't give two shits about Manny or her feelings... Kendra was worried about Toby. And not just worried, she was angry at him. And scared for him.

Craig had been talking to Ashley and Spinner while waiting for Liberty to finish at talking to her math teacher, and they were all looking at each other in complete and utter shock. Spinner looked towards Kendra, not noticing the heart break on Craig's face or the look that on Ashley's face that basically said that she was going to pass out.

Liberty walked out of the class, and the opening of that door un-froze time itself it seemed; because all hell broke loose.

Danny burst out laughing at the irony of TOBY ISAACS becoming a teen father. Manny shook her head, eyes filing up with tears and then ran away from everybody's starting eyes. Emma, surprisingly, was the one who chased after her- Toby and JT right behind her. Kendra slammed her locker down shut and ran in the opposite direction of Manny, Emma, JT and Toby. Paige and Hazel were too caught up in their phones to notice but Spinner, Danny and Liberty all followed after Kendra.

* * *

Outside the girls bathroom on the 2nd floor, Emma Toby and JT all stopped. They knew that Manny had just ran in there.

"Stay here," Emma ordered, going to enter the bathroom. Toby grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"I want to talk to her!" Toby declared, his voice a lot stronger than he expected it to be. Despite the fact he knew they hadn't used a condom, Toby had never considered Manny getting pregnant. It seemed so unlikely, like something that wouldn't happen to him.

"Getting a girl pregnant isn't an accuse to go into the girls bathroom Tobes." JT said lightly, trying to keep a teasing sort of voice. Emma and Toby glared at him, probably for different reasons. "Let Emma go alone, I'm sure Manny would appeciate Emma actually caring about somebody besides herself." JT rolled his, not even sure what was making him say these things. They weren't even slightly true.

Emma shot JT the dirtiest look she'd ever given him and entered the bathroom without glancing back at either of the boys.

"That bad a break up, huh?" Toby said mildly, not sure what to expect. He figured that deep down, he'd always known that JT and Emma would get together at some point, but he'd never considered them breaking up. Or having a bad break up, their friendship had always seemed stronger than all that pettiness.

"Not a big deal right now, Tobes." JT said, really not wanting to talk about Emma ever again, because he knew he'd say something he'd regret only seconds after saying them. "Who would have thought you'd be the one getting a girl pregnant in high school, not me."

"Personally, I'm surprised that either of you managed to get any girl pregnant." Ashley's voice came from beside them, they both turned around slowly; panic rising in Toby's chest.

"Ash-" Toby began, but Ashley cut him off.

"No I'm not telling our parents. That's up to you IF Manny decides to keep this baby, which I totally understand if she doesn't." Ashley said slowly.

"You never liked Manny," JT commented, confused.

"I still don't like her. Can't stand her, in fact. BUT she deserves to have supporting her Toby, no matter what her decision is about this baby." Ashley shook her head, unbelieving that Toby might have a baby before she does. "That includes you being the one telling your parents, if it comes to that." Ashley turned away and then looked back at him. "I can tell you now to stay away from Emma and her Outrage, boys. She won't be supportive about this at all. We all remember what she was like last time."

"She's different now," JT said, coming to Emma's defense like he had done so many times in the past. In fact, it always seemed that he was defending Emma. People were harsh towards her, but JT knew stopped to consider that maybe she deserved some of the things that happened to her.

"JT... you don't even believe that." Ashley said, crossing her arms. "and you're in love with her." Ashley smiled sadly at the young boys standing in front of her. It seemed like just days ago that they were playing with action figures upstairs and JT was hitting on Paige every second. Now they stood before her, having officially lost their innocence. Toby was on the edge of becoming a father and JT was in love with a girl whom he'd crushed to point of no repair. That was one thing Ashley knew that would come from this entire experience; Emma Nelson was broken. She'd had her moments where she was near the edge of falling apart but she's now lost all she had in the world. Ashley wasn't even Emma's biggest fan, and she knew what needed to be said.

"Just, don't ignore Emma for Manny, okay? Emma's going be needing as much help as Manny soon enough. If not more," Ashley said, knowing what it was like to be broken. Predictably, JT and Toby just looked confused.


End file.
